The following are basic guidelines for fess and costs of legal services. Please contact our office at (360) 373 - 8526 for more details and to schedule a free phone consultation or a $100 in-office consultation to review your case.
For those who don't often hire an attorney (usually a good thing), it is confusing when attorney's talk about fees and costs because they seem like they should be the same thing, but they are not. The word "fees" refers only to the attorney's or staff's time and effort spent on your case. The word "costs" refers to all other money expenses spent on your case.
Costs of your case: You will be responsible for the costs of the legal action if you use the legal system to help you force the other person or business to do what they should have already done. Even if in some cases the attorney advances these costs, in the end you will be responsible to pay these costs. Often you will be required to pay these costs directly or give a deposit to your attorney to pay these costs when they arise. Some of the costs include: court fees, costs of obtaining medical or other information, depositions, service fees (official delivery of documents to other persons), court reporters, investigators, witness fees, transcript fees, expert fees, guardian ad litem fees, long distance telephone charges, copying charges, and other costs necessary for your case.
Hourly fees: We charge based on the actual time spent in 6 minute segments. The attorney's fees for work performed is $200 per hour for attorney level work and $95 per hour for legal assistant level work (even if performed by an attorney). There may be circumstances where you may get some discounts or reduced fees, but that is determined on a case by case situation. We do not charge for every phone call, every copy, or every little thing. Just becuase one can charge more doesn't mean one should.
Flat fees: Sometimes services can be performed for a set amount of money if the issue is well defined and the work can be accurately estimated. Feel free to ask if your needs can be met this way.
Contingency fees: This means that you don't pay any attoney's fees unless you recover money from your lawsuit or settlement. The attorney's fees are determined by a percentage of the total amount recovered for you - this amount changes based on the type of case.
Sliding scale fees: In some cases you may apply for a sliding or reduced hourly fees based on your income and special circumstances. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Pro bono: This is free (or low cost) legal services for those who are determined unable to pay for themselves.
Payment plans: In some cases you may be able to create a monthly payment plan to pay for the required deposits, costs, and attorney's fees. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Desposits: You may be required to make a deposit for future costs and attorney's fees depending on teh type of case. These moneys are placed in a special bank trust account and still belong to you until the amount is used or earned.
CREDIT CARDS: It is preferred to pay by cash or check, but if you would like you can pay by Master Card, Visa Card, or Discover Card. I realize that hiring us to help you can be a major cost and it is easier to use credit and pay it off over time.
Court forms: Many forms are available at www.courts.wa.gov as well as your local county Superior Court or Clerk websites. These forms are usually free for you to download and use. You can also get lots of helpful information at www.washingtonlawhelp.org where there is lots of information on various legal topics.
Court facilitator: For some types of cases you may be able to contact your local Superior Court or Clerk and schedule to meet with someone who can help explain the court system and paperwork to you. While this person may not be an attorney and unable to give you "legal advice," they can help you with the forms and procedures for low or no cost.
CLEAR / Northwest Justice Project: This is a non-profit agency who can assist people in a variety of ways for little or no cost. They also have many self-help materials. Your can call them at 1-888-201-1014 or visit them at www.nwjustice.org for more information.
