Lawyers map
>1,018k
experienced lawyers
Thank you for your service. You are the best lawyer I have ever hired.
Different
review sites
review sites
>7
Filter by
29 Mar, 2014 by Anonymous
When i went to hire this lawyer i thought he worked for for a different law firm.He is very rude and does not handle himself in a manner in which lawyers who work for you should.I wish i had gotten a different lawyer.Not understanding in the least.Does not care about your problem in reguards to you case.If your case is not worth a lot of money to him he does not have the time to return your phone calls.Then is very rude when he does.He is like every other lawyer out there what can you do for him.!
Read more
04 Sep, 2023 by Anonymous
Even though I won my case, this lawyer charged me thousands of dollars to come up with a "fair" (she needs to relearn the definition). Her charges to me were outrageous including lengthy conversations with my EX when she wouldn't even return my phone call or my lawyers. She doesn't understand even the basic of calculations. (Example both parents paid their half of an event to the institution, she would give him credit against me- on over 50 line items even though I also paid directly, basic math is not understood and poor competency.) She is not worth the over $30K I paid to have no outcome except for the Judge to throw out the endless hours due to her poor execution. Use someone else!
Read more
05 Jul, 2014 by Sabrina
Charged me over 20,000. for motions that he never filed or would provide any copies of. I have had a lot of experience with different types of lawyers. The invoices for billable time were even double billed and he refused to correct them. Stay away would be my only advice.
Read more
24 Mar, 2015 by Anonymous
At $350 per hour and seeing him on a recommendation from another lawyer I was hoping for more than a impatient and arrogant attitude. We had barely reviewed my intake sheet and started to discuss more details. I had been sitting with him for 10 minutes or less before I asked anything. I wanted to know more about him before disclosing more personal information. He went rough my intake sheet and as he asked about some of the info on the sheet with regard to the sums of the balance in one of my kids accounts I stopped and said I have a few questions before we go further. He sat back in a huff and said I've been doing this for 35 years and we ARE going to go through my questions but you just go ahead and do yours now OK! Total red flag.... I had JUST met him and he gets huffy? He said this is such a rude and unprofessional way and then he actually pushed his papers away and sat back with his arms crossed. I was shocked. I'm there to hire HIM! In that moment I thought I'm out of here. I said to him calmly after gathering myself and said, I think I'm done. I'm. It doing this with you. He said ok, grabbed the papers and said "good night then" and he stomped out of the office. I gathered my things and told the front desk he was the rudest and most unprofessional attorneys I've ever met. They looked at me and probably knew exactly what I meant. Last person I would want on my side. Seriously, if you can't get past the intake paperwork how are you going to get anywhere! Not worth the $4 I paid for parking.
Read more
11 Aug, 2017 by Anonymous
This attorney a Public Defender was assigned to me by Brooklyn Defenders to represent me at a Supreme Court.
My first encounter with Attorney Ms. Shaidad was very negative on her part, Ms. Shaidad was not prepared when in court she never met with me, introduce herself or attempted to contact me while I was inside the court, I only became of her presence when my case was called in front of the Magistrate.
During the hearing Ms. Shahidad distracted me from what magistrate was saying, she refuse to explain what was going on and refuse to refute the demands on the other parties attorney.
After the hearing Ms. Shahidad lied to me that she called out my name and falsely claimed that I was not at the hearing, I immediately met with her Supervisor,I was informed by said Supervisor Mr. Baum Esq. Any further incidents to bring it to his attention, During our second meeting Ms. Shahidad, did not send my case documents that my other Public Defender who did an excellent job representing transfer the case documents to her which she falsely claim she never recieved, Ms. Shahidad later stated she had sent it to my mailing address then later she sent it to my regular address that she knew I had no access to. Ms.Shahid was untruthful claim that she did not have my information of the mailing address, when her colleagues had confirmed to me that information Ms. Shahid already had it, When I enquired about my case as it was progressing thru the courts, Ms. Shahid, would dismiss me on everything refused to talk to me about the case instead complained to me that I reported to her Supervisor which she made it clear when we had a important meeting with the D.As Office when I informed Ms. Shahid that Its already been resolved over a month ago and of moving forward Ms. Shahid continued to complianed angrily by threathen me of walking away from my case and from the meeting with the D.A.
Our last encounter Ms. Shahid intentionally delay my case for 2 months When we last met, I had sent Email of concerns and questions about my case since Ms. Shahid was none responsive in our meeting she refused to discussed the case and wanted me to agree on an unrelated matter, when I enquired about the case and press to discuss of an important dismissal. Ms. Shadid falsly accused me of harassing her, since we where in a privated meeting room, I immediately walk out and I informed the receptionist, I requested to speak to the Supervisor Mr. Baum, when he was unavailable I informed Ms.Shahid that I would report her conduct and retribution. Supervisor Ms. Burke a direct suoerv. met with me, I had agreed to give Ms. Shahid a 2nd opportunity even thought I had requested for the 2X a replacement due to Ms. Shahid extreme bias, as per Ms. Burke she told me that we where going to work things out and asked me to give her another chance, there was no other attorney that specialises in my case.
Ms. Shahid direct Superv. Ms. Burke mislead me to believed that things where going to be fine with with Ms. Shahid by sending me a Email detailing information of the case also of sending me my court case documents. ( which I never recieved)
A month an a half later on my Court date Both Ms. Shahid and her Direct supervisor Ms. Burke showed up and Ms. Burke with out previous notification nor did she informed me, abrutly recused Ms. Shahid under the false pretence of alledge lack of communication, when I asked Ms. Burke why she did not notifying me of her recusal, Ms. Burke stated it was the Emails I had sent, the actions taken by Both Brooklyn Public Defenders Ms. Shekera Shahid and her Direct Superv. Ms. Burke whom mislead me to believed that I would have legal unbiased representation their actions created further delays and jeopardize the case.
Read more
27 Apr, 2016 by Anonymous
This man robbed us of our money and took advantage of a family in need!!! A brief synopsis, I hired this lawyer to represent my husband who was picked up upon return to the Fort Lauderdale cruise port (our family vacation) on a VOP from Orange county, FL. us!! His retainer fee was $2500 and he took this money knowing that he could not help us and after I realize his scheme I fired him and agreed to give us back half the fee ($1250) in which I received and gave to his new lawyer in the county where the case is and where he need to be transferred to! DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU, BUYER BEWARE!!
Read more
02 Apr, 2018 by Anonymous
We are a small city in Missouri. Boner was hired to represent us in a lawsuit against several contractors for breach of contract. After nearly 7 years and tons of money, she decided she didn't want to represent us anymore. The Judge Lewis LET HER OFF after 7 years! We have to start all over with new attorney. We are not a rich city and are fighting contractors. She could not give the judge a reason because one of the defendants attorneys was there. Apparently Judge Lewis didn't care why, HE LET HER QUIT! This is UNJUST! DO NOT EVER USE HER!!!
Read more
07 Jul, 2024 by Crzyhrse.4u
June Dillard, former NAACP president (unbelievable) main objective was to squeeze as much money out of me, her clients as possible, while also tying me up in the legal system. I hired June Dillard for a criminal matter. I had evidence to prove my innocent, but June Dillard constantly refused to present the evidence to the court and request that all charges be dropped. Instead June Dillard worked with the prosecuting attorney, in hope of having a trial. Rather than see the case dismissed, June Dillard constantly invented new ways to add additional charges that were outside the initial contract. Charges that did not exist. June Dillard requested an additional $1500 after having been paid $2,500.00 stating “here is a charge I did not know about". After I proved to her that the charges brought forward had been given to her upon our initial consultation, she angrily quit by not showing up for the court case. June Dillard negative actions left me at disadvantage, without a lawyer to verify a previous judge ruling. I was arrested, held etc. it took thousands of dollars and my hiring another lawyer in order to clear up the matter that June Dillard had created out of spite and greed, and it was frighten to see such injustice. June Dillard has over 20 years of experience in law. she know that the person she's basically conned and left tied up in the system would likely be too overwhelmed to do anything but walk away. I think it great that such a site like "Avvo "exist. It could possibly spare another individual from such an unfortunately unfair fate.
Read more
12 Apr, 2019 by Joseph
I am a past client of Louis Ciavarra. He was supposed to represent 3 plaintiffs and myself, a defendant in counterclaim, in a civil matter. The entire claim against me was for under $2,000.00. The entire suit was for under 65k. Mr. Ciavarra in 3 months charged over 228,000.00 and is trying to get it from me personally. There is no agreement from me to be responsible for the fees, nor did he do a conflict assessment and waiver as required under the rules. Currently, there is pending a BBO complaint against him and his firm for his conduct in this case.
Read more
16 May, 2018 by Anonymous
Showed up ninety minutes late for first court appearance because she booked two clients at the same time in different courthouses.
Lost my three letters of office because she lost her mail.
Was confused during court appearances and had to repeatedly ask questions from other attorneys and court staff and was disrespectful to the court recorder who questioned her on something.
Accused me of not informing her of information she needed but denied the fact that I had called numerous times and left messages with her secretary and then accused me of being insensitive because she was sick with the flu and couldn’t respond to my calls.
Showed up to court and complained the entire time how sick she was.
Billed me for two thirds of the entire cost she had quoted me after eight weeks of representation. She had originally agreed to represent me for what she anticipated to take three years.
When I questioned her about all of the mistakes she made, her response was “I told you I’ve never done this before”
She took advantage of me, a grieving, emotionally distraught widow, one month after losing my spouse.
Several other complaints... too many to list...
Read more
24 Jun, 2018 by Anonymous
Erika Amatore is the worst attorney hired by our consulting business. Our consulting business has been active for almost ten years around the world (e.g. Canada, Korea, US, Belize, Russia, Bolivia, Switzerland, Africa, Singapore, etc) and used a variety of attorneys for various matters relating to intellectual property, tax matters, patents, regulatory matters, and most recently breach of contract. We've had excellent legal support many times, however, no lawyer has ever treated our firm in the poor manner that she did. The worst--Erika did not disclose that the judicial official working in our case has a conflict of interest worth our review and when another attorney flagged the issue she did not share that concern (that conflict ended up being exposed six months later and is worth knowing). She did not get to know our company's case nor fact check case details with us before committing our company to key deadlines. She did not follow directions on almost any request---she failed to use prepared legal material by prior legal counsel and instead recreated legal documents at our company's expense. In files we gave her she introduced legal and factual errors that she did not highlight so those changes and errors were not caught in time. Her errors actually contradict the cornerstone of our case that we asked her to review three or more times at the beginning--meaning her errors are incompetence or disobedience possibly both. She did not consult with our firm about deposing a witness nor review key documents that would have prepared her for the deposition. She shared company files outside the firm without seeking the firm's prior informed consent which put intellectual property of client's at risk. Erika was under prepared for our discovery deadline and sent us on multiple wild goose chases regarding how to produce documents (e.g. the format requested changed multiple times making our staff spend dozens of hours of repetitive unnecessary work). She ended up dropping the case with little notice, right before the discovery request, without consulting the company nor informing it of it's legal rights. If a person professionally commits to representing a case at the very least, commit to key a few milestones and come up with a strategy to transition if one cannot commit long-term. She did not have the maturity to do that. To sum it up, Erika comes across as a self-absorbed and heartless millennial that is distracted, doesn't care, and is sloppy. This firm and our management has worked with and/or supervised over sixty people and she, undoubtedly, is the worst professional worked with. Our firm worked with the legal firm to get the answers/find a solution and/or give her the benefit of the doubt for over a month. The only thing we accomplished was finding out that our gut feeling presented here is more than true and grounded by fact and we found out worse things beyond our imagination. We are left feeling that if we found truth to our complaints---imagine the additional damage she did because we probably found out only a portion of the truth. It is our formal opinion this person lacks the intellectual and moral character to represent others needing legal help. Erika Amatore is also in dire need of some serious soul searching. We wish her luck in conducting that intense reflection because she is going to need it.
Read more
26 Sep, 2023 by Anonymous
Dissatisfied with performance and results. Do further research before you engage.
Read more
20 Mar, 2021 by Anonymous
JOHN FRANCIS MEYERS over-billed me while a lawyer at BARNES & THORNBURG and was in fact disciplined by the Georgia Bar Association and SUSPENDED! HE WAS PUT ON MY CASE BY STEVE WEIZENECKER STILL AN ATTORNEY AT BARNES & THORNBURG. I WAS PURSUED BY STEVE WEIZENECKER FOR YEARS TO GET MY BUSINESS AND HE BROUGHT MEYERS TO THE TABLE.
Read more
27 Feb, 2024 by Anonymous
Everytime I try to talk to her it’s like she’s dodging me until I see her in the court room. She’s barely telling us anything. This is a very bad lawyer! I do not recommend.
Read more
07 Jun, 2024 by Anonymous
He does not have your best interest! He is slow, incompetent, and wastes your time and money.
Read more
01 Jul, 2024 by Chris
I wouldn't recommend this guy to anybody he pushed me to take a offer that nobody in their right mind would take and when I wanted to go to litigations he just ignored it and got himself off my case
Read more
28 Jan, 2018 by Anonymous
Charlie Bailey put his own agenda before advocating for the children he was hired to protect. Our family is no better off after hiring Mr. Bailey than we were before. He failed to fully investigate and the work he did do resulted in no legitimate expertise to problem solve. In addition, he was not able to relate to our family concerns based in his lack of personal experience. During the worst moment of our family's life, Mr. Bailey made our circumstances more complicated rather than helping. We all were very disappointed in his abilities as a professional.
Read more
30 Jun, 2023 by Amanda elson
Remington should be investigated due to him being, he will padden charges, and also allow law enforcement to lie under oath then he won't even make sure everything gets investigated. And if there's anything that he shows in court best believe it will be edited which is illegal he will add and take away what people say just to try to incriminate you. For 2 years he has been holding someone in jail that is and wouldn't even give him a chance to clear his name.
Read more
29 Feb, 2024 by Arlene 210-309-0437
Took my $1200.00...Hired her to help Me to get custody of my 3 year old grandson...I go to Court on 1-23-14...she called me and said she has health Issues and will not be practicing law anymore...but will Not refund my money....so I can hire another attorney...Amazing
Read more
07 Feb, 2021 by Anonymous
Do not use for divorce. This attorney lied to me about a conflict of interest with the judge assigned to my case. She told me the conflict happened years prior, yet that was not true as it was less than 6 months prior to him being assigned my case. (I found this out after the divorce was finalized by researching the judges campaign contributions - that are made available to the public.)
Also, after not receiving child support (or alimony) for nearly 5 month after the finalization of the divorce, she told me that I would be “better off” not fighting for the child support worksheet to be filled out according to TN law. (Even after the Divorce Coordinator at the courthouse had told her the worksheet had to be filled out a certain way.)
I only kept with this attorney for nearly two years because we were so deep into the process. She was often unresponsive to attempts at communication. She treated me like a nuance more than someone who was paying her tens of thousands of dollars to work in their best interest. So many red flags along the way and I, especially, should have never used her going against a “high profile” attorney (the title she gave my ex’s counsel).
Read more
27 Oct, 2014 by Anonymous
She goes about her practices very unethically. She is never available to meet and always says she is busy. She mostly text a response and gives you very limited information. I wouldn't recommend her at all. She get hostile when you tell her about how unorthodox her methods are and avoids you even more.
Read more
09 Feb, 2021 by Anonymous
Is a thief takes advantage of the elderly you charged them 1500 for ten min never honored their wishes cut people out the will make them a power of attorney only to take their houses your mean and intimidating you prey on the weak . Threaten both of us
Read more
08 Aug, 2012 by Anonymous
Dealt with her through the Staff Attorneys Office for a Pro Se Missing Spouse Default Divorce. She was very rude, obnoxious, condescending and acted like she was above the law. She gave wrong information to me, and makes up for her staff that is just as rude as her. Refused to give me answers because I did not hire an attorney. Kept pushing for me to get an attorney when I didn't need one.
Read more
17 Sep, 2013 by Scott
Ms. Beaty failed to represent my interests in modification to the possession order with my children. She advised my to accept the agreements as they were presented from the other side, which limited my access to my children. I was able to recover most of what was lost in later court sessions and a competent attorney
In the divorce case, she advised my to enter into a deed of trust so that my former spouse could keep the house. What she failed to mention is that my name would still be attached to the mortgage for the remainder of the term, 25 years and it could be used to determine my credit worthiness. Bad advise....
Read more
20 Jul, 2010 by Anonymous
Attorney has staff that aparantly does everything. He is not prepped on any of his cases and is not very knowledgable when it comes to current laws as far as I can tell. He is attentive and give very vague and brief answers that is inconsistent and unsensible.
Read more
19 May, 2017 by Anonymous
Does not take domestic violence seriously. Talks down to you. As a woman client, he was disrespectful and degrading. He would rather represent a person that is a in criminal. He wasn't knowledgeable on the case I presented him but offered to take the case if I was a man. He is more focused on injustices and was even dishonest telling the perpetrator my intentions to sue. As a client he made me uncomfortable.
Read more
15 Apr, 2014 by Anonymous
1.
a division into or distribution in portions or shares.
2.
a separation, as of two or more things.
3.
something that separates or divides.
4.
a part, division, or section.
5.
an interior wall or barrier dividing a room, area of a building, enclosure, etc., into separate areas.
In the year 2007.
We call him. He does not answer.
We leave messages.
He never returns our call.
My husband and I would like this to be done,
And have done everything Mr. Ahlschwede has asked
Of us. We believe, this to be a simple case,
Which he has ignored.
Now we fear, if something were to happen to us.
This problem will pass on to our son.
We want to move on in our life. And life is too short for things like this.
Read more
28 Mar, 2016 by Chasity and james
We were sent to Kathy through our employer at a discounted rate and Kathy treated us like we were discounted customers. I'd say representing us in mediation was an overstatement. She rushed us through mediation because she had another client and our wishes for the updated order were inaccurate due to her rushing. When we emailed her to follow up on anything, she was like a robot that would just forward our email to the other lawyer. She didn't put any thought or effort into anything. She just forwarded emails between the people involved but never stood up for us when the other lawyer was incorrect. She was late on meeting the deadline for submitting our new order for child support and we were left to take the money out of our checks ourselves, instead of it coming from our employer properly and no one could agree on the correct amount we would owe. We submitted money to the other parent through our bank per the lawyers orders and 6 months later we were in trouble with the attorney general saying we never paid. They wouldn't even accept the payment. Our lawyer Kathy said we wouldn't even owe because they missed the deadline with submitting the be order but that wasn't true. We paid anyway and then it didn't even count. Then we owed more money. All because she didn't do her job. That and when we emailed her after mediation she told us we would owe more money to retain her to keep working with her. When she didn't even finish the job and we were now fighting over money owed because the lawyers missed the damn deadline!! She's the worst. Never ever ever hire her. She seems okay until you pay her and she deems her job over. She doesn't care at all.
Read more
22 Sep, 2022 by Isabel
If you’re reading this and thinking about hiring this guy, don’t! If you’ve been appointed this guy, you’re screwed. You can tell he’s had a troubled past relationship with clients when you can’t leave him a google review because his google reviews is non existent. Smart move to not have a public forum when you’re a horrendous attorney.
Read more
13 Oct, 2020 by Anonymous
Some people practice only for money, self-seeking desires over justice. Beware of who you give your money to.
Read more
Find by
State
- New York
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Illinois
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Washington
- District of Columbia
- North Carolina
- Massachusetts
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- Maryland
- Wisconsin
- New Jersey
- Minnesota
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Kentucky
- Virginia
- Oregon
- Alabama
- Indiana
- Connecticut
- Utah
- Missouri
- Nevada
- Nebraska
- West Virginia
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- Mississippi
- Kansas
- Arkansas
- Iowa
- Delaware
- Idaho
- Hawaii
- Maine
- Wyoming
- North Dakota
- Alaska
- New Hampshire
- Montana
- Vermont
- South Dakota
Browse lawyers
Cities
-
New York
-
Washington
-
Chicago
-
Houston
-
Los Angeles
-
Atlanta
-
Dallas
-
San Francisco
-
Philadelphia
-
Seattle
-
Austin
-
Boston
-
San Diego
-
Pittsburgh
-
Miami
-
Columbus
-
Phoenix
-
Denver
-
Brooklyn
-
Cleveland
-
New Orleans
-
Portland
-
Nashville
-
San Antonio
-
Cincinnati
-
Charlotte
-
Minneapolis
-
Milwaukee
-
Sacramento
-
Tampa
-
Baltimore
-
Louisville
-
Salt Lake City
-
Raleigh
-
Orlando
-
Birmingham
-
Indianapolis
-
Buffalo
-
Baton Rouge
-
Irvine
-
Albany
-
Columbia
-
Las Vegas
-
Fort Lauderdale
-
White Plains
-
Fort Worth
-
Memphis
-
Madison
-
Detroit
-
Oakland
-
Jacksonville
-
Albuquerque
-
Rochester
-
San Jose
-
Saint Louis
-
Saint Paul
-
Omaha
-
Garden City
-
Bronx
-
Lexington
-
Knoxville
-
Coral Gables
-
Harrisburg
-
Grand Rapids
-
Charleston
-
West Palm Beach
-
Providence
-
Kansas City
-
Beverly Hills
-
Boca Raton
-
Southfield
-
Greenville
-
Scottsdale
-
Wilmington
-
Newport Beach
-
Troy
-
Palo Alto
-
Tucson
-
Syracuse
-
Tallahassee
-
Hartford
-
Pasadena
-
Spokane
-
Charleston
-
Metairie
-
Oklahoma City
-
Honolulu
-
Tacoma
Discover the ideal lawyer
You can search a lawyer by practice area, lawyer name, city, state, or ZIP code
FAQs
Questions? We have answers
Top Questions to Ask a Lawyer
When meeting with a lawyer for the first time, it's important to ask the right questions to understand their expertise and determine if they're the right fit for your legal needs. Here are some top questions to consider:
-
What experience do you have with cases similar to mine?
Ensure the lawyer has relevant experience in the specific area of law pertaining to your case. -
How do you charge for your services, and what are the estimated costs?
Understand the fee structure, including hourly rates, flat fees, retainer fees, and any additional expenses. -
What potential outcomes can I expect from my case?
While no lawyer can guarantee results, they can provide an assessment of possible scenarios based on their experience. -
What is your approach to handling cases like mine?
Learn about their strategy, whether they prefer negotiation, mediation, or litigation. -
Who will be working on my case?
Find out if the lawyer will handle your case personally or delegate tasks to other attorneys or paralegals. -
How will you communicate with me throughout the process?
Establish expectations for updates, preferred communication methods, and response times. -
What is the likely timeline for resolving my case?
Get an estimate of how long the process may take from start to finish. -
Do you have references from past clients?
Testimonials or references can provide insight into the lawyer's professionalism and effectiveness. -
What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
Understanding potential challenges helps you prepare and sets realistic expectations. -
Are there alternative ways to solve my legal problem?
Discuss options like mediation, arbitration, or settlement to resolve the issue efficiently.
How to Check the Credibility of a Lawyer
Before hiring a lawyer, it's crucial to verify their credibility and ensure they're qualified to handle your case:
-
Verify Their License:
Check with your state's bar association to confirm the lawyer is licensed and in good standing. -
Experience and Specialization:
Ensure the lawyer specializes in the area of law relevant to your case. -
Disciplinary Record:
Look up any history of disciplinary actions or complaints through the state bar association. -
Client Reviews and Testimonials:
Read reviews on legal directories like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google to gauge client satisfaction. -
Professional Memberships:
Membership in professional organizations or specialty bar associations can indicate a commitment to their field. -
Awards and Recognitions:
Honors from reputable organizations reflect expertise and a positive reputation. -
Consultation Assessment:
Use the initial consultation to evaluate their communication skills, responsiveness, and willingness to address your concerns. -
Ask for References:
A credible lawyer should be willing to provide references from past clients.
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To make the most of your initial meeting with a lawyer, come prepared with:
-
Relevant Documents:
Bring all documents related to your case, such as contracts, correspondence, legal notices, court papers, or evidence. -
Written Summary:
Prepare a concise written summary of your situation, including key dates, events, and involved parties. -
List of Questions:
Write down any questions you have about your case, the legal process, or the lawyer's experience. -
Financial Information:
If applicable, bring financial documents like pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements. -
Contact Information:
Provide details of any witnesses or other parties relevant to your case. -
Personal Identification:
Bring a valid ID for verification purposes. -
Pen and Notebook:
Take notes during the consultation to remember important points. -
Budget Constraints:
Be ready to discuss your budget and any financial limitations.
How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring a lawyer varies widely based on several factors:
-
Fee Structures:
-
Hourly Rate:
Lawyers may charge anywhere from $150 to $500 or more per hour, depending on experience and location. -
Flat Fee:
For routine legal services like drafting a will or handling an uncontested divorce, lawyers might offer a flat fee. -
Retainer Fee:
An upfront payment against which the lawyer bills hourly fees. -
Contingency Fee:
Common in personal injury cases; the lawyer receives a percentage (typically 25% to 40%) of any settlement or award. -
Monthly Retainer:
For ongoing services, businesses might pay a monthly fee for a set number of hours or services.
-
Hourly Rate:
-
Factors Affecting Cost:
-
Complexity of the Case:
More complex cases require more time and resources, increasing costs. -
Lawyer's Experience:
Highly experienced lawyers may charge higher fees. -
Geographic Location:
Legal fees can vary significantly by region or city. -
Additional Expenses:
Court filing fees, expert witness fees, travel expenses, and administrative costs may be extra.
-
Complexity of the Case:
-
Estimating Total Costs:
Request a detailed fee agreement outlining all potential costs.
Discuss any additional expenses that may arise during the case. -
Negotiating Fees:
Some lawyers may be willing to negotiate fees or offer payment plans, especially for clients with financial constraints. -
Pro Bono Services:
For those who cannot afford legal services, some lawyers or legal aid organizations offer services at reduced rates or for free.
