| You’re in the attorney’s office and you are | | | | benefit the attorney, it can create complications and |
| about to sign a retainer agreement and enter into an | | | | negatively impact the attorney client relationship. Be |
| agreement with the attorney, but do you really have | | | | sure you understand the ground rules of the |
| a clear understanding of your agreement? Before | | | | agreement before you agree to it. |
| you enter into any sort of an agreement with the | | | | Financial terms and conditions |
| attorney, you would be wise to consider the | | | | Be sure you fully understand the financial terms and |
| following points. | | | | conditions of the agreement before you sign it. The |
| (1) Read the attorney-client agreement | | | | type of fee agreement may be contingent, hourly, |
| (2) Purpose of the agreement | | | | flat, or a mix or combination of each. Other costs |
| (3) Financial terms of the agreement | | | | such as filing fees, photocopies, mailing and couriers, |
| Read the attorney-client agreement | | | | mileage and travel, parking, and telephone calls should |
| As trivial as it may sound, it is imperative that you | | | | be clarified. If the attorney charges per hour, you will |
| read the entire contract or attorney-client agreement | | | | want to review the minimum billing unit or minimum |
| before you sign it. Often times one may feel rushed | | | | time increments you will be bill for a task. For |
| or feel that the attorney-client agreement is just a | | | | example, some agreements may state you will be |
| standard form that all attorneys use. Although it may | | | | charged in bill units of .10 of an hour (or 6 minutes) or |
| be true that the attorney-client agreement may be a | | | | perhaps .25 of an hour (or 15 minutes). To further |
| common contract, the language in the contract may | | | | illustrate, if an attorney charges $200 an hour and bills |
| vary vastly from firm to firm. Therefore, it is | | | | in minimum increments of .25 an hour, a task that |
| important that you read the agreement to know | | | | took an attorney one minute would cost you $50! In |
| exactly what you are agreeing to. Additionally, an | | | | general, a bill unit of .10 of an hour (or 6 minutes) is |
| attorney should give you as much time as you need | | | | common. The fee agreement should be fair, |
| to review the contract and answer any questions | | | | reasonable, and fully explained to you. If you have |
| you may have. Further, you would be wise to get a | | | | questions about the fee agreement, be sure to ask |
| copy of any agreement you sign before leaving the | | | | and get clarification before you sign it. |
| attorney’s office. | | | | Attorney-client agreements lay out some important |
| Purpose of the agreement | | | | ground rules and financial terms and conditions for the |
| The attorney-client retainer agreement sets forth the | | | | attorney and client relationship and before you enter |
| ground rules for the attorney and client relationship. It | | | | into any sort of an agreement with the attorney, |
| is also supposed to build good will between the client | | | | you will want to make sure you understand the |
| and attorney. However, this is not always the case. | | | | agreement and its terms and conditions before you |
| For example, when the attorney-client agreement is | | | | sign it. |
| not fully explained to you or if it is written unfairly to | | | | |