Is there proper etiquette on attorney fees?

[quincy]

there is one big difference between lawyers and doctors though - doctors did not create the human body, and all of its ailments

but their model to fix our ailments always revolves around expensive pharmaceuticals

in other words, the main goal of our medical society revolves around profit, not around the goal of making people feel better

in fact, if they make us feel too good, they wont have jobs any more

lawyers create a ridiculously complex set of laws, and then charge everyone else to interpret them

it is no secret why there are so many lawyer jokes, and why they are hated so

being that this is a site full of lawyers i am not the least bit surprised at the blowback

i am sure there will be a lot more coming my way !!

you are talking to someone too wise about reality and how things really are

Medical doctors rank fairly high in surveys of most trusted professionals, just below grade school teachers. Nurses have retained their long-standing position as most trusted.

However lawyers - always near the bottom of the heap every year when honesty and ethical standards are weighed - are now ranked below local officeholders for the first time.

Here is Forbes 2018 list of America's most and least trusted professions:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/01/04/americas-most-and-least-trusted-professions-infographic/amp/

 

[Steffenfield]

The attorneys I've used, when it wasn't fixed fee for eviction, ALSO charge for paralegal and administrative support separately. You get to pay the big bucks when you're using the big thinker's time. At least, that's the way it is supposed to work.

Yes.

In addition to my lawyer's hourly rate, travel, and costs, I'll also have to carry these additional expenses: $240 for partners, $200 for associates, and $100 for law clerks and legal assistants per hour.

Those are considered separate support services, so overhead is not included in her rate of pay.

@justalayman
Probate was never filed and I don't have a clue as to the value of the total estate.

If I at least knew this, it would be so much easier on making a decision to move forward or not, but it's all been kept in secret so far.

 

[justalayman]

Yes.

In addition to my lawyer's hourly rate, travel, and costs, I'll also have to carry these additional expenses: $240 for partners, $200 for associates, and $100 for law clerks and legal assistants per hour.

Those are considered separate support services, so overhead is not included in her rate of pay.

@justalayman
Probate was never filed and I don't have a clue as to the value of the total estate.

If I at least knew this, it would be so much easier on making a decision to move forward or not, but it's all been kept in secret so far.

Then whoa and time out. If probate was never opened, then simply put, this cannot apply:

The support I'm requesting for is Breach of Fiduciary Duty by the executor.

If probate has not been opened then there could be no breach of fiduciary duty by the executor becasue there is no executor. If probate has not been opened, feel free to go open probate yourself and handle the estate.

 

[not2cleverRed]

https://forum.freeadvice.com/threads/in-case-of-my-death.648699/#post-3582177

 

[not2cleverRed]

Older threads on this subject:

Looking-for-a-forensic-accountant
How-to-receive-copies-of-all-documents-and-a-full-accounting-of-all-assets
Can-i-hire-an-online-attorney-with-a-sliding-scale-fee.

While I can understand OP's frustration, I think it would be good to keep all of the inheritance stuff in one thread.

An observation: OP repeatedly refers to his sister as his adoptive sister. I don't which one was adopted, or if both were adopted, and legally for the purpose of inheritance it is irrelevant.

(What? Its an obvious observation.)

 

[Just Blue]

Older threads on this subject:

Looking-for-a-forensic-accountant
How-to-receive-copies-of-all-documents-and-a-full-accounting-of-all-assets
Can-i-hire-an-online-attorney-with-a-sliding-scale-fee.

While I can understand OP's frustration, I think it would be good to keep all of the inheritance stuff in one thread.

An observation: OP repeatedly refers to his sister as his adoptive sister. I don't which one was adopted, or if both were adopted, and legally for the purpose of inheritance it is irrelevant.

(What? Its an obvious observation.)

Likely OP is making that distinction because of dislike for his/her sibling. It's rather sad.

 

[Ohiogal]

The attorneys I've used, when it wasn't fixed fee for eviction, ALSO charge for paralegal and administrative support separately. You get to pay the big bucks when you're using the big thinker's time. At least, that's the way it is supposed to work.

Then that is an attorney to avoid quite frankly.

 

[not2cleverRed]

Likely OP is making that distinction because of dislike for his/her sibling. It's rather sad.

It is also likely part of the problem - especially if one thinks/acts like the adopted child isn't the "real" child. Legally, adopted children are "real" family members.

 

[Just Blue]

It is also likely part of the problem - especially if one thinks/acts like the adopted child isn't the "real" child. Legally, adopted children are "real" family members.

I have a real niece and nephew that were adopted. They are loved just as much as any child in our family.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Then that is an attorney to avoid quite frankly.

It is not uncommon though for some firms to structure their hourly fees to bill separately for the work of associates and/or support staff. Generally when that is done the hourly fee for the lawyer himself/herself is less because his/her fee doesn't have as much overhead to cover. It simply provides a different way to market the law firm. If the lawyer is charging the same hourly rate as others who do not bill separately for support staff, though, that lawyer had better be really good or you are over paying for his work.

 

[Steffenfield]

I refer to her now as my adoptive sister because I'd rather not have others think that I'm like her in any way.

And yes, we both were adopted.

I agreed with $240 (plus expenses) an hour for my attorney to write yet another, please be nice and do the right thing non legal letter to her, requesting the Trust Document which was not given on the first time asked.

She did provide that all of the titles and deeds are now safely in her name, without giving me notice or consent to do this, and our father's bank account has been completely purged without reason based on monthly statements after his passing.

I doubt that I can afford to see this through to the end, but maybe the second request letter will give me a better understanding of what was done.

 

[NeilTheCop]

well, now you know why i stay away from lawyers !! 240/hr - what a ridiculous amount of money that they make

Lawyers go through years of training to be competent enough to pass the bar exam. All those years cost them a lot of money and they now want to recoup that money. Any profession that requires a license means that to get that license the holder had to pay for it.
Before becoming a cop I used to fix cars in Nevada and I got my G2 emissions inspector license. Cost me a lot of money and I took lots of exams but in the end I got it ,and it meant that if a garage wanted to fix a car that had failed it's emission test only a G2 license holder could do it. I got my money back and then some, always to the crying of "I can't believe how much I have to pay you" from my employer.

 

[justalayman]

She did provide that all of the titles and deeds are now safely in her name, without giving me notice or consent to do this, and our father's bank account has been completely purged without reason based on monthly statements after his passing.

I have to presume she had some legal authority to do this. While anybody can write a deed and claim it is valid, when you speak of cars and bank accounts it’s unlikely all banks involved and ya state as well would allow unlawful transactions, especially when you state probate hasn’t even been opened.


I suspect there is something present you simply aren’t aware of and may not have any right to be told of.

 

[Steffenfield]

I have requested a Michigan Department of State Record Look Up Request with my attorney.

I understand that it's all gone except for the remaining property estate where she now lives.

For now, I just would like to know how she was able to do all of what was done without my consent.

I think that she either forged my name, stated I was incompetent, or claimed I was dead/unavailable at the time she submitted these forms to the Secretary of State.

But yeah, maybe I missing something else on what happened.

After two years, I'm still in the dark in all of this.

 

[mrsjohnson]

Yes.

In addition to my lawyer's hourly rate, travel, and costs, I'll also have to carry these additional expenses: $240 for partners, $200 for associates, and $100 for law clerks and legal assistants per hour.

Those are considered separate support services, so overhead is not included in her rate of pay.

@justalayman
Probate was never filed and I don't have a clue as to the value of the total estate.

If I at least knew this, it would be so much easier on making a decision to move forward or not, but it's all been kept in secret so far.

If you know what needs to be filed, why can't you find a similar form/motion online and edit it for your circumstances? If time is money that is.