Many lawyers may tend to “pad the bill” or even lie about the amount of time spent on your case, as well as lie about expenses they incur on your case then freely admit to making up excuses why they did not do something they were supposed to take care of on your case like missing deadlines, court appearances and possibly any other duties linked to your case.
Bill padding can significantly increase your case costs even after you thought all anticipated fees had been negotiated. Beware of getting charged extra for photocopying, faxes, word processing documents, secretaries, even the attorney’s meals. Always double-check your lawyer bills carefully and protest if necessary. The toughest thing to do is find a good attorney.
Try to find one that allows you to negotiate your fee with them so that it is tied to your case’s results. A good attorney should accept this “results-oriented” fee basis. Never simply accept what an attorney tells you his fees are. Talk to him, negotiate what you can afford and how much you are willing to spend “totally” on your case “before” he begins working for you.
Try only to pay for what an attorney gets done for you, not the number of hours he “says” he spends on your case because you will never really know how much time he actually spends. Moreover, beware of choosing an attorney from an advertisement. The only expertise you know he has is that he possesses the ability to produce an ad which is no indicator or example of his expertise at legal representation
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCES: the book: YOUR ATTORNEY ON A SHORT LEASH BY A. AZRIELI and BOTTOMLINE PERSONAL NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 1997