how to get a retainer back from an attorney

How can I get my retainer fee back from my attorney?

• CE. If the attorney did not earn the fee, you should be able to get it back by asking. ...
• SD. File a grievance with the state bar.
• JA. An attorney is obligated to represent you and show up in court for your cases if you have retained him.
• KW. Contact the Texas State Bar. ...
• JY. You can but you're better off contacting the state bar.
• ES. ...
• LH. ...
• JA. ...
• SF. ...
• TH. ...

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Full Answer

Do I get my remaining retainer back from my lawyer?

Dec 08, 2020 · How To Get a Retainer Refund With Your Robot Lawyer. Log in to your DoNotPay account. Click on the Chargeback Instantly option. Give your bank details and the name of the lawyer to the chatbot. Follow the chatbot’s instructions. Verify your request.

Can I get my retainer fee back from my attorney?

Oct 18, 2011 · How can I get my retainer fee back from my attorney? CE. If the attorney did not earn the fee, you should be able to get it back by asking. Maybe a personal visit to the... SD. File a grievance with the state bar. JA. An attorney is obligated to represent you and show up in court for your cases if ...

What to expect when you hire an attorney on retainer?

Can you get a retainer back from a lawyer? If you paid a retainer and there is money left from the retainer, then you are entitled to get the money back from the attorney. The attorney is allowed to take money from the retainer for the time he worked on your case.

Is it worth having a lawyer on retainer?

Jan 14, 2015 · The attorney would need to itemize his or her time and you would usually be entitled to a refund of the remaining portion of the retainer. You indicated that the check was "non-refundable" so it would be important to review the entire agreement to see if this is ethical.

How do I ask for a retainer back?

A: You should start by emailing your lawyer to ask for a return of the unused retainer. It is a fairly routine matter for an attorney to return unearned client funds. There is a very good chance that no other action on your part will be needed.Apr 15, 2019

Can you get a retainer back?

A “retainer” is a pre-payment for services to be rendered; if your lawyer actually delivered the services promised in the fee agreement or engagement agreement, you're highly unlikely to get any of the money back, unless it was not fully used during the term of the representation.

How do I ask for a retainer fee?

The first thing you'll ask them is how much work they anticipate over the next 3-6 months. Ask what their goals are for the next 3-6 months. Help them estimate the volume of work that will be required in order to accomplish these goals. Step 4: Suggest additional monthly services that could be of value to the client…Aug 30, 2019

How much is a retainer fee for a lawyer?

Overview. A retainer fee can be any denomination that the attorney requests. It may be as low as $500 or as high as $5,000 or more. Some attorneys base retainer fees on their hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours that they anticipate your case will take.

What to do if an attorney does not earn a fee?

If the attorney did not earn the fee, you should be able to get it back by asking. Maybe a personal visit to the office would help. Otherwise, you could file a grievance with the attorney grievance commission.

What happens if an attorney doesn't show up?

An attorney is obligated to represent you and show up in court for your cases if you have retained him. If he is not doing his job or is not showing up you have a right to fire him and/pr ask for your retainer or at least part of your retainer back. If he doesn't return it, you can always sue him in small claims court and/or report him to the state bar with a grievance. Call him and leave him a message saying you are going to file a grievance in 24 hours unless you hear from him. That should get his attention.

What to do if retainer fee is unused?

If it is clearly a retainer fee, all unused portions of the retainer fee, at the end of the engagement, should be returned to the client. Talk to the attorney and ask them why the delay (if any) for the case. The attorney has an obligation to communicate with you if you reach out to that attorney. If your case involves a statute of limitations issue, then you need to speak with the attorney sooner rather than later to make...

How long has a lawyer been sitting on your case?

The implication of your inquiry is that the lawyer has been sitting on your case for 4 1/2 months with no reasonable explanation for the lawyer's inactivity. I am assuming that is so for purposes of providing an answer.

Joe Young

You need to officially fire him and request a refund of your retainer. You need to tell the attorney to stop working on the case and not bill you for any further time.#N#More

Brian Richard Dinday

A meaningful answer would be easier to provide if you told us what kind of case you hired him on, what you paid and whether you had a written fee agreement. I can not offer any opinion on whether he lived up to his obligations, since I have not seen the fee agreement and know nothing about the case.

Robert Lee Marshall

Instead of filing a lawsuit, you may be able to resolve the situation through arbitration.#N#If a client requests arbitration, the attorney must participate...

Gerald Gould Knapton

Since you live in the San Diego area it is probably OK for you to contact either of these two programs and ask them to help you. They have low costs programs and even have "fee waivers" if you don't have the funds to pay for the program.

What is retainer fee and why you need to write a letter to get refund

Retainer fee is the fee you paid for your attorney who is typically a lawyer. What if you have paid fee to your lawyer who did not serve the purpose ? You may want to get a refund from your attorney. In this case, you must write a letter .

Sample Letter format to request retainer fee refund

I, _________ (Your name here), became a client for you on _________ [Write the date of meeting / agreement here). I have paid retainer fee. Still now no action is taken from your end to resolve my issue, __________ (Write the exact issue here). Now I want to close this client agreement and don't require your service in this matter.

What is contingency fee?

Contingency fee agreements are common in personal injury cases. Other areas of the law do not favor that type of arrangement. In fact, certain areas of the law including family law bar any type of contingency arrangement. Instead, attorneys use flat or hourly fees for their billing.

What do you expect from an attorney?

When you hire an attorney, you expect their legal advice and guidance to assist you with whatever problem you are facing. Whether you are dealing with a creditor or facing criminal prosecution, your attorney is supposed to be your lifeline.

Do attorneys use flat fees?

Instead, attorneys use flat or hourly fees for their billing. Hourly fees are ripe for disagreements, as many attorneys require a retainer to be paid upfront. The retainer represents a pool of money paid to your attorney for fees they have not yet earned.

What is contingency fee agreement?

A contingency fee agreement is a relationship where an attorney does not require any upfront legal fees. Instead, they will keep a portion of the compensation they recover on your behalf. If they are unsuccessful in your case, they get nothing.

How do attorneys set their fees?

Attorneys set their fees based on a number of factors, including the amount of work the attorney will need to do for your case and the complexity of the case. Some factors that determine the amount of the fees are: 1 The billing rates for each level of professional working for your business, based on each person's experience, specialty area, and their level (partner, associate, paralegal, for example) 2 Novelty and complexity of the issues 3 The difficulty of problems encountered 4 The extent of the responsibility involved 5 The result achieved, and 6 The efficiency of the work, and customary fees for similar legal services. 1 

What is contingency fee?

Contingency fees. In this case, the lawyer gets a percentage of what you receive if the case is decided in your favor. If you lose the case, your attorney gets nothing, but they may still charge for their costs. Contingency fee percentages are negotiable. Flat fee.

What is retainer in legal?

A retainer is paid in advance, for legal services that will be rendered. When you talk to an attorney about a retainer you may discuss one of three different types: General retainers are fees for a specific period of time, not a specific project.

Do lawyers put their fees in writing?

An attorney should give you a description of their fees, preferably in writing, and some states require that lawyers put their fees in writing before taking a case. You should also see details of fees for services like copying documents, court filing fees, or research costs.

What is retaining fee?

A retaining fee is a deposit or lump-sum you pay in advance. The attorney must (by law) deposit that money in a trust account to draw from as work is done. If there is money left in the trust account at the end of the project, you get that back.

What are the rules of professional conduct?

State ethics rules and state bar associations have rules of professional conduct, including rules for disputes and for making sure attorneys charge reasonable fees. Check with your state's bar association for more information.

What happens if you don't pay your attorney?

What happens if you don't pay? The attorney might charge you a service fee or interest on the overdue balance or take out a lien on your documents or other property the attorney has. In other words, you won't get your stuff back until you pay the attorney's bill in full. The agreement with your attorney should spell out the attorney's right to charge you for non-payment.

What happens if you lose a contingency agreement?

In a contingency arrangement, you pay no fees up front, and if you lose, you owe your attorney nothing. If you win, however, the attorney retains a set percentage as his fee. Since you do not give the lawyer any money up front, you cannot demand a refund if you fire the attorney before trial. On the other hand, if you replace him with another attorney and continue the litigation, he may and probably will claim part of any attorney fees won by your new counsel.

What to do if you disagree with your attorney?

Bar Association Assistance. If you and your former attorney disagree on the amount of refund you are due, you can usually get help. State and local agencies that regulate attorney conduct in each state, called bar associations, often offer fee arbitration services.