logging hours?

[mrrobert]

When a lawyer logs hours & takes money from clients account , would there be something paper wise to reflect the hours logged?

If the lawyer has a log sheet saying they logged 20 hrs & takes money out of the escrow account......Wouldn't there be "drafts written", extensive notes etc...to back up the logged hours?


I find it strange that there are 20 hrs logged & only a few notes,nothing drafted.

thanks

 

[DAD09]

Yes

At a minimum, said attorney should be giving hourly break downs of time.

 

[mrrobert]

thanks

I guess anyone could make a fake Log saying they spent "x" hours doing whatever..

I see so there should be "material" as a result,,

ie: spent 7 hrs composing 4 page draft.. and showing the "draft".

versus just a time log yet nothing material as a result

Thanks for your answer...so the fact they logged lots of hours & took the money, yet no material as proof ... would be called________

 

[quincy]

An attorney can bill for any time spent handling your case - including time spent on the phone with you, or time spent discussing various aspects of your case with, say, another attorney, or time spent filing papers with the court (the time spent traveling to and from court, time spent waiting around in court to handle a matter relevant to your case, etc). There does not have to be "material" created. You are being billed for the attorney's time.

 

[mrrobert]

still nothing

There was not 1 single court date, or anything ever filed, not even a single phone call, only a few short emails

Here is the situation; hired lawyer & paid in advance.

he never really got to the case..then died...

the relative/trustee wants to keep the money.

they claim he spent time "thinking about the case"..
however, The death is a breech of contract & all funds should be returned..as "thinking" with no material work done has no monetary value...

So does that means the client is screwed for paying up front?


how is "keeping the money" with nothing in return fair?
the case is now ruined & cannot be salvaged due to the time wasted & to0 much cost to fix the mess

 

[Ohiogal]

I guess anyone could make a fake Log saying they spent "x" hours doing whatever..

I see so there should be "material" as a result,,

ie: spent 7 hrs composing 4 page draft.. and showing the "draft".

versus just a time log yet nothing material as a result

Thanks for your answer...so the fact they logged lots of hours & took the money, yet no material as proof ... would be called________

Not all time is spent making papers. Some time is spent on telephone calls, discussions or even waiting in court for hearings. What does time in court produce? Especially a hearing which you might not have attended? Sometimes you get a court order. Sometimes all you get is another hearing date. Also time spent researching doesnt' necessarily generate a lot of paper either.

 

[Ohiogal]

There was not 1 single court date, or anything ever filed, not even a single phone call, only a few short emails

Here is the situation; hired lawyer & paid in advance.

he never really got to the case..then died...

the relative/trustee wants to keep the money.

they claim he spent time "thinking about the case"..
however, The death is a breech of contract & all funds should be returned..as "thinking" with no material work done has no monetary value...

So does that means the client is screwed for paying up front?


how is "keeping the money" with nothing in return fair?
the case is now ruined & cannot be salvaged due to the time wasted & to0 much cost to fix the mess

You should be able to recover most of the retainer except what can be substantiated by the attorney's records. File a complaint with the bar if the relative/trustee doesn't help.