Attorneys' Fees: The Basics
Understand lawyer fees when seeking legal advice from an attorney.
Learning the basics of attorneys' fees before hiring an attorney will help you avoid a common misunderstanding between lawyers and clients: the matter of the fee.
You want a lawyer who knows the subject matter of your legal problem inside and out, charges fairly, treats you with respect, and with whom you can communicate. Though no lawyer is cheap, you probably can find lawyers all over the price spectrum who can meet your needs.
Here are some general rules to keep in mind.
There is no such thing as a "standard fee." Fee agreements are negotiable between clients and attorneys with some exceptions for when they are limited by law. Fees are based on several factors, including the lawyer's overhead and reputation, the type of legal problem, and what other lawyers in the area charge for similar work.
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Occasionally, there may be a "going rate" that most lawyers in a particular locality charge for a certain type of job, such as doing a trademark search, handling an eviction, filing a bankruptcy, or preparing a living trust. However, even when most lawyers charge about the same for doing a defined legal task, you'll have no problem finding lawyers who charge more and can also probably find one who charges less. This is especially true in parts of the country with a large surplus of lawyers, where they are searching for you just as hard as you are looking for them.
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