Traditionally, Family Lawyers bill their clients one way…hourly. However, there is an alternative. That alternative is Flat Fee Lawyering. Clearly, however, not every case is right for Hourly Lawyering and not every case is right for Flat Fee Lawyering. We offer both options. You choose which method is right for you, up front, when you hire us. The questions is, however, which option is right for you?
What is Hourly Billing?
This is the traditional method that Law Firms have used for decades, in Family Law representation. Certain cases, regardless of whether they are for Divorce, Custody, Support or any other Family Law topic, are more appropriately handled on an hourly basis. You and your lawyer will discuss whether this type of billing is right for you.
Under this option, we request a Fee Advance (traditionally called a Retainer) from you. This Fee Advance is kept by us in a separate bank account, called an Escrow Account. We then keep detailed records of the time we spend in representing you. We send you a bill on a monthly basis, so you are informed of the time expended. Once the bill is forwarded to you, we then remove our monthly fee from the Escrow Account and your Fee Advance is reduced by that amount. If the Fee Advance is exhausted, we may request that you replenish your Fee Advance, so we can continue to represent you in this arrangement.
What is Flat Fee Billing?
We also offer Flat Fee Lawyering, as an alternative to Hourly Billing. You pay us a set fee amount per Court event or to draft a Family Court document for you. The only item not covered by your Flat Fee are Court Costs, which are generally a charge, by the Court, to file a document. That’s extra, but that’s the only extra, and we’ll tell you about it beforehand.
You and your lawyer will discuss which Billing option is right for you. The Flat Fee you agree to pay us covers everything we will do for you for your court appearance. Then, that’s it…no more payment will be requested of you, and we can then concentrate on what we do best…representing you in your Family Law case. Once that court appearance is completed, our representation of you is over. Should you need us again in the future, you’ll pay us another Flat Fee. It’s just that simple.
Neither option is “better” or “worse”. To discuss your individual case, please call us and speak with one of our lawyers. We are here to help you.