Flat Fees: A lawyer charges a specific, total fee for his or her services. Thus a client can know in advance how much an attorney costs.. Sometimes, after a case is started, a client may desire for the attorney to do additional work that is beyond what the attorney originally agreed to perform. This can be thought of as a "change order". The attorney will not be responsible for performing such work without an additional agreement and an additional fee.

Contingency Fees: The lawyer's fee is based on a percentage of the amount awarded in the case. If you lose the case, the lawyer does not get a fee, but you will still have to pay expenses. Contingency fee percentages vary. A one-third fee is common. Some lawyers offer a sliding scale based on how far along the case has progressed before it is settled. Courts may set a limit on the amount of a contingency fee a lawyer can receive. This type of fee arrangement may be charged in personal injury cases, property damage cases, or other cases where a large amount of money is involved. Lawyers may also be prohibited from making

Hourly Rate: The lawyer will charge you for each hour (or portion of an hour) that the lawyer works on your case. Thus, for example, if the lawyer's fee is $200 per hour and the lawyer works 5 hours, the fee will be $1,000.

Retainer Fees: The lawyer is paid a set fee, perhaps based on the lawyer's hourly rate. You can think of a retainer as a "down payment" against which future costs are billed. The retainer is usually placed in a special account and the cost of services is deducted from that account as they accrue. Many retainer fees are non-refundable unless the fee is deemed unreasonable by a court. A retainer fee can also mean that the lawyer is "on call" to handle your legal problems over a period of time. Since this type of fee arrangement can mean several different things, be sure to have the lawyer explain the retainer fee arrangement in detail.

Non-Profit: The lawyer works with a non profit legal service that offers his or her services as pro bono work (for free) or on a reduced fee.

Flat Fees set after consultation: A lawyer charges a specific, total fee for his or her services but only after having an initial consultation. Currently we will allow attorneys to choose this option in only the following types of cases:

• - Advanced/Complex Estate Planning
• - Contested Divorce cases which involve any of the following:
  • - Allegations of abuse or domestic violence
  • - Child custody
  • - Large amounts of assets
• - Criminal Felony Defense with a Trial
• - Complex Litigation