Lawyer overcharge?

[pat-b]

So a while ago I got a ticket for a 99 in a 60.
I retained a lawyer for $150 to take car of the ticket.

We go to court and I have to go to a SATOP class to keep points off my license.
While at court the lawyer ask if I had paid the fee to his office and I had.

I go to the class and we then must go back to court. All of this is taken care of and I pay the $580 fine for the ticket.

A week or two later i get a bill in the mail for $150. I figure I was a mistake so I call the office and the lady said she would check. I get a call back and the receptionist says that because he (the lawyer) had to go back again I must pay another 150.

All through the times that I meet with the lawyer in the court room he never said anything about charging an extra 150.

What should i do? Advice?

 

[00slvrL]

150 for a lawyer is dirt cheap..........pay the other 150 and be glad he got your ticket reduced.

 

[s_x_i]

Yeah, that's cheap. Normally when an attorney represents you the retainer is what you pay for "x, y & z" to a specific point. (it will be detailed in a statement) Anything above any beyond this can be billed at an hourly rate.

Chalk it up to experience, move on and ALWAYS read the fine print. ;-)

 

[slider701]

Don't piss off your lawyer or short them on money. Chances are you'll need them again.

Lawyers and the DA/Judges is an old-boy network.......not the best idea to piss off your lawyer by being a cheap ass. Word will get around if you owe one of them money and need help from another one.

With that said you can call them and tell them you didn't expect the extra $150 and you are short on cash right now. Ask them if you can pay them $50 a month for the next three months. Most lawyers will gladly take payments if they know you are honest about paying them on time.

 

[COBRA_ESQ]

$150 to travel to court, appear and return is dirt cheap. $150 for two appearances is economic suicide. You should consider paying the $150 since it is still very reasonable. I suspect it is a misunderstanding. At the very least talk to the lawyer and if you want to take a hard stand on your principals pay half.

When you found out that it would require a second trip to court, did you expect the lawyer to do it for free?

 

[polecat]

So a while ago I got a ticket for a 99 in a 60.
I retained a lawyer for $150 to take car of the ticket.

We go to court and I have to go to a SATOP class to keep points off my license.
While at court the lawyer ask if I had paid the fee to his office and I had.

I go to the class and we then must go back to court. All of this is taken care of and I pay the $580 fine for the ticket.

A week or two later i get a bill in the mail for $150. I figure I was a mistake so I call the office and the lady said she would check. I get a call back and the receptionist says that because he (the lawyer) had to go back again I must pay another 150.

All through the times that I meet with the lawyer in the court room he never said anything about charging an extra 150.

What should i do? Advice?

I don't know specifics about your state, but in mine all legal retainer agreements MUST be in writing. The contract isn't enforceable otherwise. And, to top it off, courts have a tendency to view lawyers as the experts in covering ass and if he didn't cover his own...then they are likely to rule against him.

 

[carnut726]

Pay him the money. You are paying him for his friends and his networking skills more then his services. you got a cheap one. My lawyer is 375$ an hour.

 

[Domingo]

Normally the cost is per appearance, so that sounds about right.

 

[Uncle Meat]

A lawyer that charges ONLY $150!? Count your blessings... that's dirt cheap.

U.M.

 

[03Sssnake]

very cheap as has already been stated, I have paid much more in the past. My attorney charges over 200.00 an hour (used to be 175.00, but has recently gone up), you throw in court appearances downtown and take it up the wazoo on time/billing...

 

[FX4 SAPPER]

My lawyer made one appearance in court and it cost me a grand. Count your blessings and buy him a beer for cutting you a deal.