Attorney-Client

HALT Citizens Legal Guide: Is Your Lawyer's Bill Too High? 

Questioning an attorney about your bill isn’t easy, but you should not pay inaccurate or inflated charges. If you think your lawyer is charging too much, you’re not alone. State and local bar associations across the country consistently report that fee disputes are among the most frequent complaints they receive against attorneys.

HALT is dedicated to empowering legal consumers, and learning how lawyers charge and how to deal with possible overcharges are critical skills that you should have even if you never need to use them.

 Read the "Is Your Lawyer Bill Too High?" brochure (PDF)

HALT Citizens Legal Guide: Understanding Attorney Fees

Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on legal fees. While some are satisfied customers who are getting competent legal help at affordable prices, many others believe legal fees are way too high and would rather leave a legal problem unresolved than pay for services they cannot afford. If you find yourself with a legal question, you should explore all of the options available to you and become educated about your legal question. You may actually find that you do not need to hire an attorney.

 Read the "Understanding Attorney Fees" Brochure (PDF)

HALT Citizens Legal Guide: Where Do I Go for Legal Help?

Few of us will go through our entire lives without having some contact with "the law." When a legal problem arises, will you know what to do? Many people mistakenly believe that the legal system only affects those who are involved in a lawsuit. Actually, people become involved with the legal system in many areas of their everyday lives. Legal matters may arise involving your job, your money, your family, your car, your house, your neighbors - the range of possibilities is as wide as the range of your daily activities. This brochure can serve as a starting point for dealing with your legal problems and also suggests other resources you can consult.

 Read the "Legal Help" brochure (PDF)

HALT Citizens Legal Guide: I Have a Problem with My Lawyer... What Can I Do Now?

If you have a dispute with your attorney, HALT's new Citizens Legal Guide is the nuts and bolts brochure to consult first. HALT has produced this FREE downloadable online guide that answers all your questions about how to communicate with a lawyer if you encounter a problem, how to go about firing your lawyer, when and how to pursue fee arbitration, a client compensation claim, a legal malpractice lawsuit and an attorney discipline complaint - and much more.

 Read the I Have a Problem with My Lawyer brochure (PDF)

When a lawyer screws up, you may want to sue him, but proving malpractice isn't easy.

When you reach the point of needing an attorney's expertise, it usually means that some situation -- whether at work, in the neighborhood, with the family, or elsewhere -- has gotten too complex to resolve on your own. You turn to a lawyer and trust she will help. But what do you do when the lawyer makes things worse instead of better? If you've lost confidence in your attorney and are considering suing for malpractice, here are some things you should know.

Many attorneys now offer a standard one-page retainer agreement for their clients to sign. The principal reason for this short-form contract is the fear that a longer contract will merely intimidate a potential client. This fear, plus the fact that the primary focus of the document is often the client's agreement to pay, means these forms are incomplete, especially from the client's point of view.

The American Bar Association compiled data on grievance committees and client security fund offices in 2002, which was verified by HALT in the Fall of 2002. Fee arbitration program data was compiled by HALT in the Fall of 2002. In our fee arbitration listings we note whether the program is voluntary, mandatory or non-existent. Mandatory programs are only mandatory for lawyers, not clients.

Too often when people hire attorneys, they feel as if the lawyer is the one calling the shots. Clients are often in the dark about key information in their case— even the fees they will pay. Common sense and basic legal ethics say that every client has the right to this information. HALT’s Legal Consumers Bill of Rights tells you what you should demand from your lawyer.

The winning side usually has to pay its own attorney's fees

The losing side does not ordinarily have to pay the winning side's attorney's fees, contrary to popularly held belief. In the United States, the general rule (called the American Rule) is that each party pays only their own attorney's fees, regardless of whether they win or lose. This allows people to bring cases and lawsuits without the fear of incurring excessive costs if they lose the case. In contrast, in England and other countries, the losing side is often required to pay the other side's attorney's fees after losing a trial.