Fee Arrangements

Every potential client is concerned about what it will cost to hire me as their attorney, and justifiably so. You are entitled to as much information as you need regarding the cost of legal services and I am committed to providing that.

HOURLY RATES: Like most attorneys, my basic billing arrangement is an hourly fee, which means that I track the time that I spend working on your case. This includes meetings in my office, writing letters, drafting pleadings, performing legal research, preparing for both settlements and trials, and attending hearings and trials. Each task is recorded along with the time spent performing it, rounded to the nearest tenth of an hour.

My present billing rate is $250 per hour. I often delegate simpler work to my law clerk, who acts under my strict supervision. The fee for his services are $100 per hour. I do not charge clients for work performed by secretarial staff.

MEDIATION FEES: My fee as a mediator is $200 per hour. I charge for the time spent in mediation sessions with the parties, in preparing summaries of each session and preparing the mediation agreement. Fees are payable at the conclusion of each mediation session and are usually divided equally by the parties.

ARBITRATION FEES: My hourly fee for this service is $250, and is usually divided equally between the parties. I typically request a retainer of $2,000 to begin, although this depends on the case.

PARENTING CONSULTANT/EXPEDITER FEES: My hourly fee for this service is $250, which is usually divided equally by the parents. I typically request a retainer payment of $1,000 to start, although this may change, depending on the case.

OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES: I do charge clients for out-of-pocket expenses, such as court filing fees, the cost of serving process, the fees charged by court reporters for depositions, fees paid to appraisers, etc. I do not bill my clients for the cost of photocopies or long distance phone calls, unless those costs exceed $20 in a given month.

RETAINER: I generally request a retainer, a flat amount designed to cover the initial stages of the client's case. For example, to begin a divorce proceeding, it generally costs $3,000 to prepare the pleadings, have them served and filed, prepare the initial motion for temporary relief, attend the hearing, and draft the order. If my client needs these services, I request a retainer payment of $3,000. If no temporary hearing is required, the initial retainer is likely to be $2,000. Every case is different and I base my retainer request on your specific situation.

All retainer fees are deposited in a trust account, which holds funds that belong to my clients. Each month I provide clients with an itemized statement documenting the services I have performed, the date, and the amount of time involved. This statement will show the amount debited from your retainer fee. Additional retainer fees may be required, depending upon the case. On the other hand, money remaining in the trust account at the end of the case is refunded to the client.

I accept credit card payment for my fees, including MasterCard, VISA, Discover and American Express. Some clients authorize me to charge their credit card or debit card each month for their accrued billing.

I encourage clients to contact me with questions or concerns regarding billing. I am always ready to make adjustments to the billing statements when that is warranted.