Do lawyers charge you for talking to them on the phone? How do they usually work?

Question

Do they usually charge one time flat rates from start to finish?

Do they charge you for talking to them on the phone, after the initial consultation,and if so, how much roughly?

I just don't want to get suckered into paying hundreds and possibly THOUSANDS of dollars for sometihng I may not even need.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Most "flat fee" cases do not require you talking to the attorney much. If you continually call him, you will probably be asked to pay for his time or find that he is "unavailable" at the time you call.

Answer 2

An attorney normally requires a retainer, and any fees are deducted from that amount. Some will charge a flat fee for traffic, or other cases not requiring a lot of work.

A flat fee is just that, you pay the agreed amount, and he takes care of your case. Don't plan on having a lot of long conversations with him, though.

However, if you put down a retainer, most attorneys will charge for phone calls after your initial consultation. My attorney bills me $165/hr. Anytime we spoke on the phone, he billed me a minimum of 1/4 hour, or $41.25

Answer 3

Initial consultations are frequently free, then they start charging (LOTS) if they take the case.

Answer 4

I truly don't think you need an attorney, for what you are describing. I think that if you have any witnesses, to the incident, or at least you can put an ad in the newspaper, because you can be sure this guy is going to have some witnesses,....then you will be able to counter anything he is accusing you of. Is he asking for money?...I don't think you need an attorney at all, to be honest

Answer 5

No way we can answer that, ask the lawyer. I've called lawyers before and have never been charged.

Some might charge for their services. It's a price they set. Ask them.

Answer 6

The answer to your first question -  yes. That is, after you've paid the initial retainer fee. Some lawyers charge up to $300 an hour, depending on the severity of the matter.

Most retainers are $3,000 to $5,000.

Answer 7

Generally, you pay a retainer up front, and they charge their time against that. So, you might pay $5,000 retainer. The attorney will charge his rate for everything he does on your case, until the money is gone, and they you pay some more. If there's any left unused, you get it back. (Don't count on it.)

Now, that's in general. It sounds like your guy will talk about your case one time on the phone for free and will tell you what he'll take to handle it. Read the fine print. That may be one fee to read the paperwork, talk to the D.A., and go to the first appearance with you. Likely it won't cover a contested trial.

I see a lot of people charged with common misdemeanor offenses hiring attorneys who just get them exactly the formula offer the prosecutor makes everyone. In the misdemeanor court I'm most familiar with, you show up on your first appearance and can talk to the prosecutor if you want. If you like his offer, you can go right back up and plead and be sentenced. If you don't like the deal, you can go back up and plead not guilty and ask the judge to appoint a lawyer, or you can go hire your own. You can also find out which days of the week these first appearances are done and go see what everyone else is getting, with and without lawyers and have some idea what you can expect on your day.