How Do I Reduce My Fees and Costs?

It’s your right to ask for a case cost estimate or budget, but preparing one can be difficult and unwieldy, and it will be based on many assumptions and uncertainties.

A better idea as you communicate with your lawyer is to get mini-estimates for certain tasks. For example, if a deposition of a defendant is needed, ask for an estimate of what it will cost. (That involves time to prepare, gather records, and actually take the deposition.)  This gives you an expectation of an upcoming cost. It also tells your lawyer that you are watching the cost in the case. He or she is more likely not to exceed the budget, having given you specific numbers. Your case strategy is intertwined with your fees. If the strategy is to settle the case early, that requires different steps than going to a trial and a judge for a determination. You should have an understanding of the strategy you want to employ early on, since that dictates the work that needs to be done. Switching strategies is expensive, so try to stick with one if possible.

Organization on your end can cut costs. If you give your lawyer five boxes of documents that don’t make sense, they will have to be sorted and processed and that will cost you. Put information in an orderly fashion to save time and money.

Respond quickly to your lawyer. When you are asked about setting up depositions, hearing dates, responding to discovery, or a trial date, reply promptly with an answer. When your lawyer must call or email you repeatedly, that follow-up costs time and money – and stalls your case.

As you proceed, it’s understandable to want an update on the case. But if you ask your lawyer for one, you’ll likely be billed for it. Instead, asked to be copied on everything, including correspondence with the court or opposing counsel. This way you see things progress as they happen, you know what work is getting done, and you are far less likely to need official updates.

What should be on the legal bills?

Assuming you are being billed hourly, every entry should include a date, the person who rendered the work, a description of that work, and the time it took to the tenth of the hour. It’s recommended to ask for tenths, versus quarter hours or half hours. If an attorney responds to a four-line email, depending on your agreement you could be billed a quarter-hour for what took only five minutes. In addition, you can request your bills contain running totals for the life of the case and attorneys performing work.

How do I change lawyers midstream?

If you want to discontinue working with an attorney, make sure you have everything you need to move the case. This is easiest if you have copies of everything. Give your attorney only copies of original documents or have them make copies when you begin the case and return the originals. This is important because if an attorney is not paid, he or she can file a retaining lien. This means the lawyer can retain or hold on to the client’s property he legally possesses – those documents you need – because of that failure to pay. A charging lien can also be asserted. This means that a lawyer can claim a portion of any money the client eventually gets due to the judgement. They can use that to pay their fee.

Spending time upfront finding, vetting and selecting a lawyer will pay dividends in the long run. The stakes are too important to make a hasty decision. Communicate regularly with your lawyer and remain involved. There’s a professional ready to go to work for you and work as a team toward your goal.