Understanding fees and costs

• Hourly rate - This is the most common charge. Almost every activity that a lawyer performs on your behalf, from phone calls and writing letters to research, all results in a fee. In most cases attorneys have a minimum billing time, usually 15 minutes, that they will be you for; so that 7 minute phone call will still cost you 15 minutes worth of billable hours.
• Fixed Rates - This method is common for situations where the lawyer has to draft a will, trust, or partnership agreement. It is not common, however, in contentious cases because it is harder to gauge how much time will be spent by the lawyer.
• Conditional fees (‘No Win, No Fee’) - This form of retainer is most common in personal injury cases where you are suing another party for some form of monetary compensation. With this arrangement a lawyer does not charge you for their services if you lose the case, but instead takes a higher amount if you win. If you lose, you will still have to pay the costs of the person you sued / were sued by, but you can buy insurance to cover you against this risk.

You may also be asked to pay disbursements. These are expenses that are incurred by the lawyer on your behalf. Some of these expenses can range from photocopies to travel costs to court fees.

In many cases a lawyer will not advertise their rates because they will take into consideration other factors that are not known until you, the prospective client, has been interviewed. If you find a lawyer that is a match for you, but doesn't have a rate listed, you would benefit from meeting with that lawyer. Once you have met with the lawyer and received a retainer agreement, it is important that you clearly understand the different fees and costs prior to signing it. If you don't understand something, ask the lawyer to clarify it for you. The lawyer is there to help you.