[mtnair]

What is normal for attorneys fees?

Is a thousand to handle case where you are defendent about right.

What about when your the plaintiff? Does 500 for costs sound right?

[jlynn]

Costs, among other things, would include filing fees. Is this federal or state?

[centex]

Fees will vary based upon the office. Some offices are flat fee and others are hourly. Some may charge a defendant more while others do not differentiate by status of the client. And, not all clients are billed at the same rate. We've had people take us up on our $50K 'go away' fee...you know, the fee you give hoping they will just go away, but when they accept, you have a nice payday and go to work on their case.

On the occasion where I had to retain counsel in a civil matter, I paid $190 per hour and wound up paying for about five hours across a four month span of time.

The fees should be spelled out in the Legal Services Agreement that is executed by counsel and the client.

[mtnair]

The thousand is for the whole case in which I am the defendent I already answered and payed the Superior Court fee.

The five hundred is to file a Fed. court where I would be the plaintiff.

[centex]

It is not uncommon for fees to increase when we have to come in and pick up the pieces from someone either changing counsel or that tried to do things themselves. Civil won't be any different in that regard. If anything, costs will be higher.

In either regard, I would view those fees as low, but then again, the lack of money in consumer cases is a big part of the reason why I have no interest in working them. It is like a local atty I spoke with who was making a big deal out of finally getting some stuff that she could work for $1500 a pop...she is still busting her ass while we have people paying us $10K to walk in the door and we are not having to do anywhere near the time-level of work.

[Enigma]

I ran your numbers by one of our better known consumer attorneys, he seems to think the numbers are about right. He makes his money on PI work and does consumer work as a side line. Only because he HATES CA's.

I love doing tax work. I had a guy in my office before Christmas thinking about the IRS. He hasn't paid taxes, personal or corporate in six years. He got one of those little notices about a year ago to pay up or we're going to take our share. He put it off and put it off. Right now he is looking at over $100k in fines and penalties not to mention back taxes.

Today the IRS seized one of his bank accounts. Well, he was back in my office today, With one phone call I was able to stop any further action. He paid my retainer fee without question. He gave me all of his paper work, which was in four banker boxes. Not organized at all. No accounting, no nothing.

My kids will organize the records, I'll pay them $15/hour and bill it at $75/hour. Then I'll outsource the organized files to a bookkeeper that I use. She bill me at $65/hour and I'll bill the client at $125/hour.

Now if he had come to me or another tax attorney or Enrolled Agent a year ago, he would be looking at fees that would have been half or more, less than what he is paying now.