
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are legal fees standardized?
NO. There is no set or standardized rate for an attorney or lawyers fees. The client always has the right to negotiate a rate with the attorney.
Are we required to sign the retainer agreement prepared by our attorney?
NO. While a good retainer agreement is essential and often required for certain types of representation, you are not required to sign the agreement as prepared by your attorney. A fee agreement is a contract and you have the right to make revisions and structure it to suit your needs and circumstances.
Am I always required to pay the costs of the representation?
NO. Whether you are required to pay costs depends upon the terms of the retainer agreement. You can negotiate a fee arrangement whereby the lawyer fronts or even absorbs costs. There is no set standard.
What does Law Firm “Due Diligence” involve?
Global’s Law Firm due diligence service is a thorough process which evaluates a firms total capability. We go past the PR and office trappings to get at what can the firm actually achieve, what has it achieved in the past and what problems has it had with former clients or authorities.
I already have a retainer agreement with a firm, but I am not happy with the terms, what can I do?
Change it! As the client you retain the right to renegotiate or terminate the attorney client relationship. However, if you terminate the lawyer client relationship improperly you may still be obligated to pay the lawyer fees even though he is no longer working on the case. This is an area where knowledge and experience are critical.
How do you know whether our legal bills are excessive?
Our team is comprised of knowledgeable lawyers and business executives with decades of experience. We review the work performed and evaluate the work performed against the time billed to perform the work as well as the difficulty of the work against the level of the attorney preparing it. In many instances there is simply too much time spent on simple straight forward tasks that a client should not have to pay for.
What do I do if I feel I am being charged excessive fees and my lawyer will not reduce them?
This is a tricky area as it usually occurs while there is an ongoing case which has implications greater than a single invoice. There are numerous options available to a client, but selecting the right one is a delicate process which takes knowledge and experience to handle without jeopardizing the underlying case.
