When handling a dispute, make sure that your fee agreement covers settlement. Here’s some sample language to get you started. Continue reading
attorneys fees
Where Should You Deposit Fees Paid by Clients?
Effective November 1, 2018, the State Bar of California has amended California Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 (former Rule 4-100) to establish new rules on handling flat fees. Under Cal Rules of Prof Cond 1.15(a), all funds received or held by a lawyer or law firm for the benefit of a client must be kept in a trust account. But there are a couple of exceptions. Continue reading
The Hammer Family Law Judges Have When a Party Doesn’t Cooperate
Whether as an emotional response or a strategy, if a party or attorney fails to cooperate in a family law matter it can result in a big hit from the judge. Continue reading
New Ethics Rules Weigh In on Flat Fees
The following is a guest blog post by Megan Zavieh. Megan focuses her practice exclusively on attorney ethics, providing guidance to attorneys, representing attorneys facing State Bar discipline, podcasting, and writing extensively on ethics issues.
California’s new Rules of Professional Conduct, effective November 1, 2018, recognizes a trend in legal services billing—flat fees. Flat fees are becoming more common as an alternative to the traditional billable hour. As they rise in popularity outside of criminal law, the rules directly address them. Here’s what you need to know and do. Continue reading
Spell Out the Effective Date of Your Fee Agreement
Every contract for legal services should contain a clause specifying the date the agreement will become effective. This date establishes the beginning of the attorney-client relationship and marks the beginning of the attorney’s fiduciary duties toward the client. Continue reading
Do You Know When an Oral Fee Agreement is Enough?
Although you should always memorialize your attorney-client fee agreements in writing, there are some limited circumstances in which an oral agreement covering attorney fees is legally permissible. How many of those circumstances can you identify? Continue reading
4 Reasons to Get Help on a Fee Motion
Just because you successfully handled the merits of a case doesn’t mean that you should take on a large or complex fee motion that arises from it. It may be time to bring in someone with fee motion expertise. Continue reading
Know the Limits on Attorney Fees
Attorneys can’t always get what they want in attorney fees. There are statutory limitations, fees subject to court approval, and fee agreements that violate public policy. Continue reading
How to Get Reciprocal Contractual Attorney Fees
It’s like magic: California’s CC §1717 transforms a unilateral attorney fee provision in a contract into a reciprocal one! When the contract provides for attorney fees to either a particular party or the prevailing party, the prevailing party “on the contract” is entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees regardless of whether that party was the party specified in the contract. But taking advantage of this statute depends on meeting the following five requirements. Continue reading
Splitting Fees? Get Client Consent ASAP
Common scenario: You do some work for a client and then pass off the client to another attorney, agreeing to split the attorney fees. Later you want to get your share of the fees. The Rules of Professional Conduct require that you get the client’s written consent to any fee-splitting agreement. Did you get the client’s consent right away, or are you now at the mercy of the other attorney? Continue reading
