Justice can be expensive......

Attorneys' fees in your divorce can range from $100 to $1000 an hour. If you are litigating your divorce case, it may be the first time you ever hired an attorney. In family law cases, attorneys often bill by the hour. You may be shocked when you review your first invoice that runs into thousands of dollars.

In a most emotional time, you are often faced with the additional stress of dealing with the expense of attorney fees. Your best resource is information. If you have little experience with attorney billings, you may not recognize the errors. And that's why we formed this company, to help ensure accurate fees in the divorce process.

Protect yourself :

Take the first step in controlling your attorney fees by obtaining sufficient information to understand the mechanics of legal billing.

Take a few minutes to browse through our site. We have provided links to published articles that provide information regarding questionable attorney billing practices on the Attorney Fees News p age. We have also provided links to your state's Bar Association, that can be a helpful source of information on understanding attorney's fees. These links will get

you started if you would like to research attorney billing practices on your own.

If you would like more information send us an email : support@attorneyfeeaudit.com

The second step is to contact us for a free evaluation of one month of your attorney fees invoice. Just upload a copy of your fee agreement, along with the invoice for review and email to us. Or fax us the information. Once we receive your information, we will identify problematic billing entries and provide you with an emailed response within 5 days. The initial evaluation is yours to keep without any obligation.

Third, if you decide that you would like an evaluation of additional invoices, we will provide you with an analysis of each individual bill. We will check for mathematical accuracy as we compare your invoices to your fee agreement. We then compare the billing entries on your invoices to industry standards and provide a detailed analysis. The cost is $25 for each additional, monthly invoice.

If your attorneys are presented with invoicing errors, they usually are willing to resolve legitimate claims directly with you. Please note that we cannot provide any legal advice. We cannot guarantee that your attorney will reduce your fees according to our analysis. If you cannot resolve your fee issues directly with your attorney, you may need to seek additional assistance. You may want to contact your state bar association. We have provided individual state links on our ATTORNEY FEE NEWS page for your convenience.

Attorneys have a professional responsibility to charge you reasonable fees.

Exerpts from the American Bar Association Code of Professional Responsibilty *

Client-Lawyer Relationship Rule 1.5 Fees

(a) A lawyer shall not make an agreement for, charge, or collect an unreasonable fee or an unreasonable amount for expenses. The factors to be considered in determining the reasonableness of a fee include the following:

(1) the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly;

(2) the likelihood, if apparent to the client, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the lawyer;

(3) the fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services;

(4) the amount involved and the results obtained;

(5) the time limitations imposed by the client or by the circumstances;

(6) the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client;

(7) the experience, reputation, and ability of the lawyer or lawyers performing the services; and(8) whether the fee is fixed or contingent.

(b) The scope of the representation and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses for which the client will be responsible shall be communicated to the client, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing the representation, except when the lawyer will charge a regularly represented client on the same basis or rate. Any changes in the basis or rate of the fee or expenses shall also be communicated to the client.....

(d) A lawyer shall not enter into an arrangement for, charge, or collect:

(1) any fee in a domestic relations matter, the payment or amount of which is contingent upon the securing of a divorce or upon the amount of alimony or support, or property settlement in lieu thereof; or

(2) a contingent fee for representing a defendant in a criminal case.

* Link to the full text can be found on the Attorney Fee News Page

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