Full Answer
For a lien claim, the statement of claim or privilege must be filed within 60 days after either the filing of the notice of termination, or substantial completion of the work. -NOTE that if the owner and general contractor mutually release the contract before any work is performed or materials delivered, and file this mutual release, then the contract will have no effect.
According to LSBA Public Ethics Advisory Opinion 12-RPCC-019, a lawyer may accept credit cards in payment for legal services rendered or advanced for fees and/or costs as long as the lawyer abides by the applicable Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct, including those pertaining to proper communication with the client, fees and expense charges, confidentiality, and the …
Full Lien Summary Request Form. If you would like access to a full state lien summary, please fill in your contact information below and click “Submit.”. If you have any questions about the state’s lien summary, feel free to call Ted Levy at 206-626-5444. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Nov 06, 2014 · Under Louisiana law, a party may recover attorney’s fees from an opposing party only in two specific circumstances: (1) where there is a contract between the disputing parties that explicitly requires the payment of the attorney’s fees incurred by the opposing party, or (2) where a specific Louisiana statute requires the payment of the opposing party’s attorney’s …
LIEN, AND CLAIM AGAINST THE OWNER OR CONTRACTOR PERSONALLY: Suit must be commenced within one year after filing the statement of claim. HOWEVER, a claim against the contractor is not extinguished by the failure to FILE the lien, if a statement of the claim or privilege is timely delivered to the contractor.
Note that two notices may be necessary. In all cases, the general must file notice of the contract, and for owner-occupied single family residences, a separate notice must be given. If the Notice is not filed, then the general will only be able to file a lien if the contract amount is less than $25,000.
Furnisher of labor or materials to owner, contractor, or sub. Includes those renting or leasing equipment to the owner, contractor or sub. Suppliers to suppliers are not covered. [38:2242; AFCO Metals, Inc. v. Tudor Const. Co., 571 So.2d 698 (Ct.App. 2 Cir.1990)]
Notice must be mailed or received prior to filing Notice of Termination, or prior to substantial completion or abandonment of the project if a notice of termination is not filed. [9:4822 (K)& (L)]
-Material suppliers who supply items to the owner, general contractor, or a subcontractor, that become part of the project, that are consumed at the site, or that are consumed in the machinery or equipment used at the project .
The immovable, i.e., the building or structure; the bond, where the contractor provides one; or against the owner and general contractor personally. NOTE THAT WHERE THE BOND IS POSTED, IT RELIEVES THE OWNER OF PERSONAL LIABILITY, and relieves the owner’s property of responsibility for the claims against the owner. NOTE that on certain projects, where the contract amount exceeds $50,000, if the contract provides for retainage, the retainage must be held in an interest-bearing escrow account. [9:4802, 9:4812, 9:4815]
Not more than ten days after the movables are first placed at the project site for use in the work. Note that the lessor’s claim is limited to the time the movable is located at the site for use in the work. If the work is completed, abandoned, accepted; or if the lessee abandons the movable or completes use of it and notifies the lessor of the completion or abandonment. [48:256.5]
The IOLTA program is a mandatory program requiring participation by most attorneys and law firms. The program requires that a lawyer’s IOLTA trust account be interest-bearing and used for any clients’ funds which are either nominal in amount or to be held for a short period of time. Neither the lawyer nor the client has access to the earnings from IOLTA accounts. Rather, the Louisiana Bar Foundation administers these funds for the benefit of numerous law-related causes. You may be exempted from the IOLTA program at the discretion of the program administrator by certifying that participation would be economically impractical or if you do not ever handle any client funds (i.e., corporate counsel or assistant district attorney). Even if exempted from the requirement of IOLTA participation, any lawyer who holds any property of clients or third persons must still keep them separate from her own funds in a client trust account. See Rule 1.15 (f) for detailed IOLTA rules.
Even if you have a rock-solid written fee agreement with your client, it means little without the proper office procedures to back it up. Therefore, simple and efficient timekeeping and billing systems must be implemented. Most clients appreciate detailed invoices showing that the lawyer has performed services on the case. Use and personalize this sample invoice.
The most important aspect of the attorney-client relationship is COMMUNICATION. And nowhere is communication more important than in dealing with legal fees and the attorney-client fee agreement. From the moment that the attorney-client relationship commences, the client must be made aware, preferably in writing, of:
Rule 1.5 of the Rules of Professional Conduct governs fees. It is long and complicated, but starts with an easy-to-understand and basic premise: a lawyer shall not make an agreement for, charge, or collect an unreasonable fee or an unreasonable amount for expenses.
In the case of a contingency fee, the percentage that will be charged by the lawyer and any other deductions that will come out of the recovery in terms reasonably understood by the client.
A lawyer may sell her future services for a specified price. For example, you may charge a set amount for handling a divorce or a DWI defense. You may require that the flat fee be paid before you begin to work on the case. The only requirement is that the fee not be “unreasonable” within the framework of Rule 1.5 (a). You may still have to justify the amount charged, so time records remain important even in flat fee situations. Use and personalize this sample “flat fee” arrangement.
Any expenses for which the client will be liable, whether or not the client is the prevailing party. A copy of the contract must be given to the client at the time of the agreement. If financial assistance is provided to a client, a copy of Rules 1.8 (e) must be given to the client as per Rule 1.4 (c).