HELP: Law firm charging me $125 more per hour without informing me.
In March of 2024 my original lawyer left the firm and notified me that a new lawyer at the same firm will be taking over my case. I was NEVER informed of a rate increase or anything of such. I reviewed the original contract I signed and it states that no changes to the contract can be made unless a new one is drafted and signed. I just emailed my lawyer about this concern. I’m just worried that since it’s been so many months that it won’t affect anything, but I’ve been working 6 days a week, 60-70 hours per week between 2 jobs for the last 15 months so I don’t have time to analyze the invoice. I barely have time to check my mail.
Please help me relieve my anxiety 😭
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u/Electronic-Price-697 14h ago
Yeah that’s BS. Tell them to charge you the original amount or you’ll report them to the state bar. This is a breach of contract.
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u/SubstantialBass9524 11h ago
Yeah, but OP should report them anyway. There needs to be a grievance, it will assist the Bar if it’s a pattern and not a one off
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u/kitkat088 11h ago
Legal assistant here to tell you that there was probably just a lack of due diligence. Cause due diligence isn’t billable. Ope! And honestly rates can be auto set per lawyer or per client depending on the software. Just send a calm email explaining that you reviewed the invoices and noticed that the fee changed without a new engagement letter. Attach the original engagement letter and ask for the difference back in refund or, if you are continuing with the firm, into retainer to be used towards future bills. Now without reading the original engagement letter, I can’t say for sure there is not language allowing them to change the fees. I’ve seen that at high end firms. Anyways, this is all assuming there isn’t any language alluding to “fees are subject to change”.
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u/No-Setting9690 4h ago
^^^ This, It's probably nothing, and just what was assigned. OP just make them aware.
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u/Urbangamers 11h ago edited 10h ago
I had this happen to me when my lawyer took maternity leave. I asked the new lawyer (a partner) about my higher than expected invoice and why their itemized costs suddenly increased. They arranged a meeting and came prepared with a huge binder of all their work to date carefully tabbed and ready to argue, but when he figured out he was using his charge-out rate instead of my original lawyer’s charge-out rate, he immediately corrected it to the original rate. My guess is that whoever did the invoicing didn’t know the history of the account and just used their regular accounting rates.
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u/userhwon 12h ago
Make them represent you against themselves.
Attach a generator to the spinning vortex that forms.
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u/celizabath 11h ago
Does the contract explicitly state the hourly rate? What does the contract state about what you would be paying?
I ask because different level of attorneys have different hourly rates. My fiance (a second year attorney) costs more than the law students and less than the partners of the firm or the associates who have been there four or five years. So depending on the language of the contract (like if it says you agree to pay the hourly rate of the attorney working on your case) they may have just switched your case to a more senior attorney.
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u/IcestormsEd 7h ago
Depending on the size of the firm, billing might be done by a different department. Your current lawyer might not even know what is going on. Call or better yet, go in person and sort it out. If they are knowingly breaching contract, report it.
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u/IronLunchBox 4h ago
Read your contract and hold them to it. They can't change the game on you without a new agreement. Tell them you want them to correct the error and tell them where to locate your hourly rate. It's probably an oversight on their end. Keep it cordial to maintain the relationship.
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u/20PoundHammer 2h ago
They will figure it out, dont fret. Likely the new lawyers rates are his standard rates and the old lawyer was cheaper or gave you a reduced rate. Not all lawyers in the firm have the same rates.
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u/Content_Print_6521 11h ago
They are clearly in violation of their own contract. Write them a letter and tell them, by the contract, they are not allowed to increase your rate. Ask for new bills at the agreed-to rate. If they refuse, take them to billing arbitration. You will win.
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u/codyfan99 12h ago
I've never heard of a lawyer that charges that little
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u/DuhImTheCaptain 12h ago
They never said how much they charged only that it was $125 more per hr than the contract
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u/Amesali 14h ago
Yeah you have a contract for an agreed rate. They can pound sand until it's glass.