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26 Jul, 2023 by Anonymous
Hired Atty Truelove to settle a dispute with my employer. He sent one letter and for the next year he did nothing but ask for more money. Tried calling him many times but he ended up ghosting me for an entire year. After a year and a half I negotiated with my former employer myself and got twice the amount John Truelove had tried to negotiate. I’ve retained lawyers before and John Truelove was the worst. Absolutely the worst!
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26 Apr, 2015 by A probate client
I was extremely disappointed in this attorney's handling of my case. Once he received his retainer, his initial interest and indignation over my situation quickly subsided. In fact, the retainer issue itself was very deceptive. He first told me that his retainer was half of what most firms charge. A few weeks later I got a call from him asking for another ten thousand dollars. Then yet another call of "Hey, when you get a chance can you send us another five thousand". So I was enticed by a lower number (presumably to avoid "sticker shock") and then billed incrementally, ultimately paying the same amount he'd criticized other firms for charging. After a year I was in pretty much the same situation where I was when I'd started but out a tremendous amount of money. Sadly, there was a young attorney assisting on the case who was smart, energetic and extremely perceptive who I believe would have had a genuine chance at prevailing. I sent her a letter asking if she could handle my case independently, and she responded that she could not as she was still an "associate" and thus not able to take cases independently. Shortly afterward, I received a further bill from Atty. O'Regan charging me for the time it took her to write her response. I think this last incident pretty much sums up my experience with this individual.
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31 Oct, 2023 by Anonymous
I engaged Rob Adelson for a matter related to employment and my experience was largely disappointing. My knowledge about his negotiation track record, representation style, commitment to transparency in cost and time estimates, and quality of past experiences was limited when I chose to hire him. Unfortunately, I discovered that Rob Adelson falls short in these aspects. I was encouraged when he quickly responded to my request for a call and promptly setup a Zoom meeting for an introductory session and initial consultation. Impressed by his claimed expertise in the subject matter of my case and his low four-figure cost estimate, I decided to proceed with his services. He assured me he would request an advance deposit whenever my prepaid hours were exhausted—a condition I found reassuring, especially considering his hourly rate was nearly twice that of Big Firm lawyers in the area, and I was working with a strict budget. However, my experience took a turn for the worse soon after I paid the deposit. He scarcely reviewed the documents I provided, a fact that became apparent in our discussions. The first draft of the letter he produced was riddled with inaccuracies and irrelevant information, and was poorly written. I suspect he simply recycled a template, investing minimal effort in its revision. When I highlighted the need for corrections and edits, he suggested I hire additional professionals at my own expense. Given my budgetary constraints, I chose to make do with Rob Adelson’s initial drafts and did not seek further assistance from the additional professionals Rob Adelson had recommended. Unsurprisingly, the negotiations were unsuccessful, leaving me in a worse position than when I started. To add insult to injury, I received a bill significantly higher than the initial estimate from Rob Adelson. When I questioned Rob Adelson about the discrepancy and reminded him of the initial estimate and our agreement regarding advance deposits, he dismissed the initial estimate as just that—an estimate—and claimed it was impractical to always stick to them or request additional deposits. Despite explaining my budgetary limitations and my inability to pay the unexpected bill, he offered only a slight discount and subtly threatened me that contesting his fees would end up costing me even more. Because of the nature of my work, I have worked with several lawyers and paralegals on different types of work-related cases over the years. I found Rob Adelson’s quality of work and professionalism particularly underwhelming. I have previously worked with some minimally experienced paralegals who have produced more coherent and effective legal correspondence and achieved greater success in negotiations. With the benefit of hindsight, should I ever find myself in a similar situation, I would ensure all promises made him are documented in writing and communicate with him exclusively via email to maintain a paper trail. I do not recommend Rob Adelson’s legal services. The last thing someone hiring a lawyer wants is to have to hire another lawyer to deal with poor work quality and billing discrepancies!
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06 Sep, 2016 by Anonymous
I feel like he does not value small cases that yield under $10,000. I've hired him for 3 separate car accident cases but I never met him in person everything has been done via email or fax and honestly everything that has been notarized was not done in front of me
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18 Mar, 2017 by Anonymous
She lied in her report, recommending denial of PIP payment from insurance company to injured party rear ended in mva. She simply made things up to fit her agenda. Total joke.
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11 Dec, 2017 by Douglas
Jim Hykel represented me, via my union, while on a medical leave. Mr. Hykel failed to keep in touch with me regularly, return my calls or emails, and lied about deadlines. Information about my case was false and eventually lead to me being terminated. His inability to respond to my contacts were extreme. He failed as a lawyer...at least in my case.
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12 Oct, 2012 by Ron
I had a simple matter which David Klemm got partially resolved in my favor. It was an easy dispute but I needed it handled professionally, as I did not know the process. He asked for $1500 retainer, in case there was future issues that he may have to handle, so I gave it to him. He responded to the IRS with a one page (1/2 front 1/2 back) and then sent me a bill for >$1711 stating I owed him the additional $211 !!! The bill was not detailed but included a lot of unsubstantiated charges. He charged me for reviewing unrelated paperwork - even though I asked him not to. He charged me for a 1 min call (who knows how much - again not itemized)- of which I simply called and asked for a copy of what was sent to IRS (I did not get it) , and phone call charges for what was suppose to be a "free consultation" by phone initially. I also asked to see of copy of the submit before he sends to IRS - he did not. Being an Executive myself - i would have liked to have input. When I argued the bill - he agreed to credit me back ~$400 (leaving a $200 credit on my retainer). When I later decided not to use him further, he refused to send me the balance. I am not sure if he does good work or not as I had a very easy case - but I would say be very careful with your retainer. It will likely get eaten regardless of effort. Needless to say, my accountant got an earful from me, for recommending him.
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25 Aug, 2011 by Anonymous
I paid this attorney $450 for an initial consultation over a modification of an existing separation agreement concerning the custody. On our follow up phone conversation the next day she insisted that she wanted to re-write the whole agreement(!) which I did not need her to do. She clearly did not listen to my needs and continued trying to sell me her services I didn't need. I then informed her that I would not go forward with her since she wasn't doing what I needed her to do. She got very resentful. Sure enough, I received a bill from her for $600 claiming that she wrote a new agreement! She never had any time to write a new agreement between the time of the initial office consultation and the phone call and we were still deliberating. When I asked her to email me a copy of the said work she said "she no longer had it"! I continued to dispute the bill then she started to send me nasty threatening emails to go to collection. I ended up paying! Needless to say a divorce is a stressful manner and last thing you need is someone who is multiplying your stress financially and emotionally.
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05 Oct, 2022 by Anonymous
You want someone to destroy your life? She will do that for you! Loves breaking up families. 8 years ago SHE FORCED my child to move to another state with her jackass father. All while my child expressed what she wanted....and that wasn't it. DESTROYED any relationships with daughter with my family. I'm now looking for a lawyer so her stuck up little Andover MA bimbo will see....I only have one life and what she's done cannot be fixed.
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06 Jan, 2021 by Anonymous
Phyllis Federico is uninterested in her client's best interests, but only interested in self-promotion and a scorched-earth approach to any legal matter. She works to wall off children from her clients estranged spouses. She discourages settlements when litigation is profitable for her. She is needlessly aggressive when other approaches can bring a matter to a reasonable conclusion.
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19 Dec, 2020 by David
My experience with Elizabeth Roberts, over a four-year period, is that she falls short of basic professional standards in terms of both document management and client representation. She operates with a chip on her shoulder and cannot properly keep organized successive versions of documents. Further, she caused her client significant monetary and material damage by virtue of her lack of skill or ability to engage in productive negotiation.
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23 Apr, 2019 by Anonymous
Retained Michelle while she was an attorney at Aceto, Bonner and Cole. Her overall manner, attitude and tone reflected how utterly miserable she was doing her job. She pushed us to settle for small amount of money. We refused and fortunately it was to our benefit as we got more in the end. She wanted to get the case over with and had NO patience for discussing options other than what she insisted we do. Being polite and respectful is not her wheelhouse. She has no interest in her client's perspective. Dictatorial and rude. Very unresponsive to requests for information or updates. Had to chase her down for answers.
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14 Dec, 2011 by Mitza
Mr. Leone has an impeccable resume. He is very intelligent, and he possesses a vast amount of experience in law. But when my family and I were in need, he and his office did not meet our expectations. I like him so much, and I try so hard to forget, but I can't help but feel let down by him and his office.
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13 Sep, 2017 by Richard
Failed horrorably in representing my const. right to effective assistance of counsel in securing corroberating discovery for exhibits to be used at trial to negate defendants guilt along with not securing witnesses to do the same. Faith to petition the court to correct or redress error in not appointment the Massachusetts Valor Act for this complaining defendant at arraiment or pretrial. Denying this defendant due process., see Commonwealth v. Richard Allen Pina, continued.
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29 Jan, 2018 by Anonymous
Called this Atty for consult. He did not provide any consult but instead asked for large legal fee without looking at the case.
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31 Mar, 2014 by Ryan
This lawyer was court appointed on a drug case I had. He told me for months that we would get the case dismissed based on an issue with the drug certification. Subsequently I was arrested on a different matter and once in coustody, Mr Kelly advised me that pleaing out would be in my best interest because he said it didn't look good now that I had been arrested!! These things should have NOTHING to do with each other! In fact, I couldn't plea out because I had a superior court probation violation pending with serious time to potentially serve. A guilty plea would have forced Superior Court to find me in violation. Thankfully, I know enough about how the system works that I didn't fall into this trap of making his job easy. I had to get into a heated argument with Mr Kelly before he finally agreed to make an oral argument of withdrawing as my counsel. Reluctantly the judge finally accepted his position, granted the motion, and I was appointed another lawyer. Within 2 weeks this new lawyer had me back in court and presented a well prepared motion to dismiss based on procedural violations and my case was dismissed. THANK GOD I DIDN'T LISTEN TO KELLY AND JUST PLEA OUT!! I SWEAR HE WORKS FOR THE PROSECUTION AND JUST DOES NOT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO HIS CLIENTS. MY NEW LAWYER SAID THERE WASNT ONE SCRAP OF PAPER IN MY FOLDER THAT HE GAVE HIM. LUCKILY I GOT A NEW LAWYER WHO WAS ON THE BALL BUT IM NOT EXAGERATING WHEN I SAY I WAS HIS CLIENT FOR 9 PLUS MONTHS AND HE DIDNT DO AN OUNCE OF WORK. Additionally, he just has an overall bad attitude. Would NOT recommend!!
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08 Dec, 2021 by Anonymous
Went through a divorce that took almost two years to finish, even though my ex-wife and I essentially agreed to all terms right from the beginning. I thought I had a fighter in Kirsten, and what I got was someone who was happy to churn a bill. Would take weeks to get her to call me back, respond to an email, but she was real quick sending out the bill. Her and Barach Law in Framingham lacked professionalism when I went into their office and her advice was basically nonexistent. Look somewhere else.
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09 Nov, 2020 by Anonymous
Ms Vaccarelli was appointed to my family case by the court in Nantucket in July 2013. She was tasked to facilitate visitation between my child & her father. In 8 months & charging $20,000, she failed to even say the word "visitation". She charged $8,000 to write a short paragraph. She didn't invoice properly. I was only able to get an invoice w/the intervention of another attorney's office. She never read any materials she requested, she didn't know the law on even simple questions. Her behavior was bizarre. She would make unexpected (& and unwanted) night phone calls to my elderly parents who live in New York, then she was talk and talk at them, and then make threats about what she could do to their grandchild. AS a matter of routine she would deny that she had said things that she had, even things to other attorneys. Her treatment of my child caused a social workers to tell me to report her to the Mass. Board of Bar Overseers, which I did. They accepted to progress my complaint. But I told Ms Vaccarelli that I wouldn't progress provided she resigned from the case and didn't cause anymore problems to anyone in my family. So she resigned. But people should know about this if they are thinking of having any dealings with her.
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01 Oct, 2017 by Anonymous
This is a review of Peter Bilowz, Esq. of Goulston & Storrs. I cannot recommend him because of his personality, laziness, and unethical behavior. I employed him because I had a problem with my housing voucher through a Boston housing agency. Unfortunately, he has a neurotic need to feel superior to clients of lower income. This he demonstrated in numerous ways. Although I may have lower income, I have letters of recommendation from some very illustrious people, including two Presidents of the United States. Thus, I am atypical. Mr. Bilowz threatened me in the middle of our work by saying "Do you want me to represent you?" I did not give him provocation for saying that. I found him to be an arrogant and egotistical prima donna. We had an argument during which it was apparent he was not representing me aggressively. At one point, I said, "Whose side are you on--mine or [an employee of the housing agency]?" I have had several lawyers represent me in the past, and we always had good working relationships. I also have done a great deal of legal research in the past, including writing an appellate brief. This leads to my next issue--Bilowz's laziness. I did 95% of the work in the case. Mr. Bilowz put a minimal amount of work into the case--maybe he thought he could get away with that. He did not advocate for me aggressively. Recently, I discovered that the legal clinic Mr. Bilowz is working with is partnering with the housing agency, which was my adversary! Thus, Bilowz had a conflict of interest which he did not disclose. No wonder he did not pursue my case aggressively! Not only can I not recommend him--I think he should be disciplined for his behavior.
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29 Dec, 2013 by Tracey
David Owens took my case back in 2008 when he first came to my house in New Jersey we talked I asked can he handle the case he inform me yes. He stated I have been doing this for more than twenty five or more years. this attorney had lied to me several times as well to miss handling the case David and Sean king never started my case until 2010 when I reported them both to state, than they reacted I made it just in time for the 2years because after two years the case would not have been any good. At one point David told me I should get another attorney I replied by saying after three years you decide to say this. As of December 2013 I still have not yet received any money. they are still sending me on a goose chase after all these years they want me to settle for 12,500 they did not fight hard for me at all. every time I would call they would send me to voice mail or talk to their receptionist she to would lie for them. it also took me three years to go see a doctor for the other party. shame on them I do not care how many years they practice law not professional at all lack of communication I would stay away from this law firm. we are about to hit 2014 I still have not yet received any information please stay away from attorney that come to your house. these attorney makes it bad for the good guys.
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20 Oct, 2020 by Harry
As a trustee of a condo association, I worked with Jon (and his firm Donovan Hatem) on a memo to help settle a construction dispute between owners with an unbiased opinion on how trustees should read the docs. He took months to review a few condo and construction docs and presented a final version memo that was totally inaccurate and incomplete in my own attorney’s opinion as well as mine. Jon admitted there were major issues with the document in writing to the condo board. But after over $11k and 6 weeks to produce the first document, Jon wanted more money to fix what was incredibly sloppy work that should have not been delivered or at the very least been marked Draft 1. The board refused to pay him more money and the attorney refused to fix the issues for no fee so we got stuck with a useless and incomplete $11,000+ document. So his inaccuracies to the memo went knowingly uncorrected – he basically said to me when I complained (and I paraphrase), “Hey, my report is inaccurate and I know it, your board won’t pay me to fix it, tough luck.” Is this possible or ethical? I know when I make a mistake, I do not charge my clients to fix it. He was also very unresponsive and didn’t reply to most of my emails (and I didn’t send many). So I never knew if he was actually seeing the important information I was sending him and paying him to review. I asked him to reply to my emails and he had his IT folks set up a rude auto-reply that still didn’t tell me if he saw what I was sending him. This was super awful client service. Net net, I would NOT put anything important or complicated in Jon’s hands. In my opinion, he could not get his head around the issues or the documents to connect the dots.
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31 Aug, 2019 by Anonymous
She advocated more against me than for me. I did "win" the case - but mot because of her.
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19 Jan, 2019 by Elle
Used their services and my work visa was rejected. After the rejection I consulted 3 other lawyers who all told me the same thing, they would never have applied for a work visa in the same manner as Dyann, and they were all shocked. And they all said, had I applied for a work visa differently I would probably have been accepted. Also, they claim to have many years of experience, but when I iterated some of the things they claimed to other lawyers, these lawyers told me they never heard of such claims. It was the worst experience ever. And I highly advise to not use their services.
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07 Oct, 2012 by Anonymous
Sharen lacks the compassion to deal with wrongfully discharged employees. She makes you pay upfront, a retainer and hourly. It cost me more to pay her than I received in the settlement. She was cold, did something very unprofessional, and charged me for it! I wouldn't recommend her even if she returned to me the almost 50K that came out of my pocket. She wasn't very aggressive in seeking out the truth and securing a great settlement, I had all the proof she needed, and more and more proof came as the case progressed. I could not afford to pay her hourly so I suffered when the settlement was about the same as the cost. She's great for billable hours, minutes, seconds so I'm sure her company likes her receivables. If you're truly worth your weight and believe in your own success, you should take a percentage of the recovery, not screw the unemployed complainant who was already screwed by the wrongful dismissal of employment.
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31 Dec, 2014 by Anonymous
It takes weeks to get a response my case has been ongoing for a year now and I have heard from her in response by email probably three times I have sent an email every single day in the past two weeks and still no response. I was told I would have a check from the insurance company to cover my injuries in three weeks so far it has been five weeks and she still does not respond to me at all worst experience ever I would rather be involved in another car accident then deal with her again!
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01 Feb, 2017 by Evans
Me and my mother, we went for a rather complex story involving immigration law, criminal law and a restraining order against my wife and the three very minor boys. Linda took a $200 check in order to hear our story. I told her she was recommended to me by another attorney. Her reply was: "Oh little Craig. Hmm OK he cant really say that we know each other well enough to recommend customers but ok he is an acceptable law practitioner. Not a very bad guy." From the beginning I felt like I was talking to a prosecutor and not to a representative of the defense. When she heard that I have already been represented by other attorney and I looked to a better option she replied: "I just had a dinner with Susan yesterday. She is a good friend of mine. You should go back to her." Yet she still kept listening to our story. Then when I tried to explain her I got court hearing for the restraining order on 11/12 and on 12/11 for the criminal case she got literally furious. She started yelling, shouting, mocking and talking with extreme aggression against me and my non English speaking mother. She said: "Are you mocking me! When is your court at November 12th or at December 11th?" Then when I replied "Both days I have court hearing. November 12th for the restraining order and on December 12th for the 'criminal' case." She erupted like a volcano swearing to me and my mother, took the paycheck and tore it apart in pieces in front of us saying I do not need your money, take your $200 back and get lost out of here and then she called her secretary-trainee guy to literally kick us out of the office. It was God's mercy that my mother did not have a heart attack at this moment. We went out to have a fresh air around the aquarium and we were lucky that the weather was good and sunny although it was November so that my mother could recover and did not end up in the hospital!
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20 Jan, 2022 by Michael
Her lawyer review is by her sycophant associate. I paid this firm a lot of money to screw up a case with No witness other than moving party. Very dissatisfied. Never got to testify and Bernstein does not listen to her clients. Thinks she knows everything because she is a lawyer and the truth is she looses case after case. Give your money to a group that listens and can litigate.
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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. What is your approach to handling cases like mine?
    Learn about their strategy, whether they prefer negotiation, mediation, or litigation.
  5. 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.
  6. How will you communicate with me throughout the process?
    Establish expectations for updates, preferred communication methods, and response times.
  7. What is the likely timeline for resolving my case?
    Get an estimate of how long the process may take from start to finish.
  8. Do you have references from past clients?
    Testimonials or references can provide insight into the lawyer's professionalism and effectiveness.
  9. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
    Understanding potential challenges helps you prepare and sets realistic expectations.
  10. 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:

  1. Verify Their License:
    Check with your state's bar association to confirm the lawyer is licensed and in good standing.
  2. Experience and Specialization:
    Ensure the lawyer specializes in the area of law relevant to your case.
  3. Disciplinary Record:
    Look up any history of disciplinary actions or complaints through the state bar association.
  4. Client Reviews and Testimonials:
    Read reviews on legal directories like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google to gauge client satisfaction.
  5. Professional Memberships:
    Membership in professional organizations or specialty bar associations can indicate a commitment to their field.
  6. Awards and Recognitions:
    Honors from reputable organizations reflect expertise and a positive reputation.
  7. Consultation Assessment:
    Use the initial consultation to evaluate their communication skills, responsiveness, and willingness to address your concerns.
  8. 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:

  1. Relevant Documents:
    Bring all documents related to your case, such as contracts, correspondence, legal notices, court papers, or evidence.
  2. Written Summary:
    Prepare a concise written summary of your situation, including key dates, events, and involved parties.
  3. List of Questions:
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  4. Financial Information:
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  5. Contact Information:
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  7. Pen and Notebook:
    Take notes during the consultation to remember important points.
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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.
  • Factors Affecting Cost:
    • Complexity of the Case:
      More complex cases require more time and resources, increasing costs.
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      Highly experienced lawyers may charge higher fees.
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      Legal fees can vary significantly by region or city.
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      Court filing fees, expert witness fees, travel expenses, and administrative costs may be extra.
  • Estimating Total Costs:
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    Discuss any additional expenses that may arise during the case.
  • Negotiating Fees:
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  • Pro Bono Services:
    For those who cannot afford legal services, some lawyers or legal aid organizations offer services at reduced rates or for free.
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