Legal Bill Audit Blog

If you were to ask a group of lawyers to name an ethical rule that applies to billing for fees, I would suspect at least 90% would name Rule 1.5 Fees - probably because it is the only ethical rule that has the word "fees" in the title! Now ask those same lawyers to name other ethical rules...

Here are a few tips to follow to save on legal costs when dealing with your attorney. Insist on Using E-mail. Always insist that the attorney communicate with you by e-mail instead of by letter. Studies have shown that using e-mails versus letters always save time. And saving time means you save money. Ask Questions of...

Did your attorney discuss with you less costly means of achieving your stated goals? If not, he may have violated his ethical duties pursuant to the American Bar Assn. Rules of Prof. Conduct (RPC). RPC 1.4 governs "Communication" with a client and specifically provides that "a lawyer shall explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary...

Okay. Your lawyer has presented you with a sizable legal bill to pay.  And as far as you can tell in reading through the bill, the time billed for each thing your lawyer did seems to be reasonable. But, you are thinking that it just seems like there was an awful lot of work he did. So is...

The single biggest cost issue I come across in my legal bill reviews can be put under the category of "inappropriate staffing" of cases.  Appropriate case staffing usually means a partner, associate, paralegal, and legal secretary in all but the most complex of cases. While some smaller firms may not have associates or even legal secretaries, any...

If you have identified the specific legal billing issues you object to and have determined that you have adequate grounds for objecting, the next step is to communicate directly with your lawyer.  In communicating with your lawyer on legal billing disputes, it is important that all communications be in writing. If communications are by phone or...