Attorney fees

[moderne]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I hired an attorney a year ago for a custody/ visitation matter. His retainer was $1000.00. In November a custody order was issued and the matter was resolved. Today I received a bill from the attorney stating I still owe him $544.00 for when he represented me. The bill comes 7 months after I ended all contacts with him. I have never been notified during this time he needs more money or that I should be expected to pay him more. Is this a regular practice? Can I fight it? Thank you very much!

SG

[Zigner]

Originally Posted by moderne

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PA

I hired an attorney a year ago for a custody/ visitation matter. His retainer was $1000.00. In November a custody order was issued and the matter was resolved. Today I received a bill from the attorney stating I still owe him $544.00 for when he represented me. The bill comes 7 months after I ended all contacts with him. I have never been notified during this time he needs more money or that I should be expected to pay him more. Is this a regular practice? Can I fight it? Thank you very much!

SG

He is entitled to be paid for his work. Ask for an accounting. If it's all accounted for, then you owe the money.

[moderne]

Thanks for replying. In most works the charge comes before or shortly after the work was done, not half a year later. If my fund with him was empty, shouldn't have I been notified? Yeah, I received a summary of the work that was done for my case, just dates, no times. This must be the strategy. Charging months later so the client cannot remember anymore what and when he talked to the attorney.

I am thinking of filling a complaint with the state bar.

[garrula lingua]

Come on.
It doesn't matter if he was late in billing - pay the man !

He represented you well, and resolved your issues and you come to this forum with the question: How can I screw him out of his earned fee !!!

Shame on you !!!!

He showed up at court on time, didn't he ? That's the deadline that mattered.
His priorities are right - get the job done first, then do billing (and his rates are damned low).
Too bad you didn't use one of the more prevalent atty-billers: no more work until you pay in full & they leave you holding a mess.
Pay the guy what he earned.
I can't believe people like you go to church on Sun & plot how to screw others from Mon to Sat.

[moderne]

Originally Posted by garrula lingua

Come on.
It doesn't matter if he was late in billing - pay the man !

He represented you well, and resolved your issues and you come to this forum with the question: How can I screw him out of his earned fee !!!

Shame on you !!!!

He showed up at court on time, didn't he ? That's the deadline that mattered.
His priorities are right - get the job done first, then do billing (and his rates are damned low).
Too bad you didn't use one of the more prevalent atty-billers: no more work until you pay in full & they leave you holding a mess.
Pay the guy what he earned.
I can't believe people like you go to church on Sun & plot how to screw others from Mon to Sat.

And I cannot believe you embrace this kind of practices. My possibility of paying him back changed dramatically since 7 months ago. How fair is to show up and ask somebody to pay for something long time forgotten and not making him aware he owes that money all this time? Is this what your doctor or your plumber does? NO!

And for your knowledge, he represented me with his presence, that was all the work he did for me. Horrible representation when he had nothing to say and he obtained nothing from what he promised me he will at the "free initial consultation"; which, by the way, is also listed on the bill I received!

And, if by filling a complaint means to screw him, I will gladly do it; the same he did to me!

[abys32]

Originally Posted by moderne

And I cannot believe you embrace this kind of practices. My possibility of paying him back changed dramatically since 7 months ago. How fair is to show up and ask somebody to pay for something long time forgotten and not making him aware he owes that money all this time? Is this what your doctor or your plumber does? NO!

And for your knowledge, he represented me with his presence, that was all the work he did for me. Horrible representation when he had nothing to say and he obtained nothing from what he promised me he will at the "free initial consultation"; which, by the way, is also listed on the bill I received!

And, if by filling a complaint means to screw him, I will gladly do it; the same he did to me!

Sounds like there was at least a lack of professional courtesy in reporting the billing situation. I agree with your question: the attorney doesn't have to provide the accounting when the retainer runs out or at least on a regular basis (like monthly)? That's the kind of behavior that makes people mistrust attorneys. Add to that the initial consultation and you see OP's point. It seems *sneaky* even if it might have been unintentional.

That being said, have you called to speak with him? You might just be able to resolve it. The sooner the better.

[moderne]

Originally Posted by abys32

That being said, have you called to speak with him? You might just be able to resolve it. The sooner the better.

I left a message for him, did not return the ph call in 3 days now. I will leave another one and another one until he can explain to me why did he need 7 months to send me a bill. As if it had to travel around the world to get to me. There is a paragraph in my contract with him that says:

"I also reserve the right to request additional retainers if the prior retainer is depleted, near depletion or in the exercise of my reasonable judgement, I find it necessary under the circumstances"

Never requested anything, just presented the bill to me.