Legal Fees

Lawyers often aren't very transparent about their fees, which makes many people hesitant to even talk to an attorney. Even the lawyers who have ads on TV touting their low contingent fees don't include the fine print about potential additional costs and possible exposure to having to pay the other side's fees if a claim is not successful. The problem with trying to be transparent up front about fees is that it is often impossible to even know what kind of fee structure might be appropriate until we have met and discussed the details of your case.

So please don't call and ask "How much do you charge?" - because until we meet there is no way to answer that question. The place to figure that out is during an initial consultation, for which the firm does charge a fee, and at which time we'll be able to quote a fee if we are able to offer representation. 

Although we can’t quote a fee until meeting with you, we realize that uncertainty about attorneys’ fees can be the most daunting part about hiring a lawyer, so the following discussion represents an attempt to add some certainty into the process wherever possible by discussing the typical fee structures for most cases handled by Harper Law.

Consultation

Harper Law charges an initial consultation fee of $200. This is a fixed fee for the consultation appointment, which typically lasts 30-60 minutes. During that appointment you’ll be able to discuss the details of your case with Mr. Harper, and based on that discussion he will determine whether the firm is able to offer representation going forward, in which case one or more of the following fee structures will be discussed. Depending on the facts and circumstances discussed during the initial consultation, the Firm may be unwilling or unable to offer ongoing representation, and/or advise you that further legal action is not advised.

Retainer/Hourly Fee

For most matters where we are able to offer representation, we will quote an initial retainer amount and an hourly fee at the conclusion of your initial paid consultation. Depending on the nature and complexity of the case and the amount of work expected to be performed, the initial retainer may range from $2,000.00 to $20,000.00. This is an initial deposit required for the firm to open a new file and we will bill for services performed at an hourly rate and then deduct those charges from the retainer paid. We will also typically pay any costs for things such as filing fees from the retainer, although sometimes those costs will need to be paid separately by the client. If/when the retainer is exhausted the client will be invoiced for additional fees and costs incurred and in some cases we will request an additional retainer if significant additional fees and costs are anticipated.

We attempt to inform the client at the outset of any new case regarding the range of fees that might be involved. Although this is very difficult to do in litigation matters, we are happy to share similar examples from our past experience. The client is nonetheless advised that unless expressly agreed in advance, any estimate is simply speculation that may not be accurate due to unknown factors such as the actions of opposing parties, attorneys, and judges; unknown and/or undisclosed facts; changing legal precedents; etc.

Flat Fee

On very rare occasions where the amount of work is predictable we are able to offer a flat, or fixed, fee.  Such matters typically include simple document preparation, review, and consultation, or other non-litigation matters within a narrow scope of specified services. We will only be able to determine whether a flat fee is something we can offer, and the amount of the fee, after the initial paid consultation. Again, a flat fee is rarely available.