How to Reduce Attorney Fees

 There are a few things you can do during the course of your legal matter to reduce your attorney’s fees:
1. Be prepared: During your initial interview, bring as much information as you can and share it with your lawyer. Think about the case in advance before talking to a lawyer. Have a written list of everything you want to ask or go over when you speak to your attorney. If you don’t know where to start, you may consider speaking with someone from the self-help clinic located within a courthouse. This could help cut down the time the lawyer will spend investigating the case and gathering information.
2. Organize your documents: The least efficient and most expensive resource to help a client organize your documents is an attorney.  The more sorting, sifting, re-organizing and general searching attorneys have to do, the more expensive it is for the client.
3. Be responsive and don’t wait until the last minute: When clients don’t respond to issues that are on deadlines, attorneys have to remind, and call, and e-mail the client. The client is billed every time attorneys do that. Thus, it is most efficient to respond in a timely manner.
4. Be open to settlement: Arrange a phone or office conference with your attorney to discuss the big issues and at least one week or more before any settlement conference with your spouse and his/her attorney.  Pin down the big issues, verbalize your settlement preferences, and ask your attorney to identify the pros and cons of various settlement options.  Avoid using your attorney as a therapist and instead focus on the legal issues. Meeting with your attorney a week or so in advance of a settlement conference will give you time to think about settlement options and clarify your position on disputed issues.
5. Review your billing statements: You should check to see that costs and expenses are monitored and properly billed. Also, make sure that your bills do not contain costs or expenses beyond those you agreed to pay.
For more information on family law matters contact The Reape-Rickett Law Firm at 661-288-1000.