Billing & Fees

Fees for professional services are based on the standards set forth in the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct. My office has the following general policies regarding charging and billing for professional services:

You will receive a written fee agreement or engagement letter before work is performed by this office on your behalf. The terms of any such engagement letter or fee agreement is controlling over the basic policies set forth on this web site.

Consultations are provided for a fee of $345, payable at the time of your appointment. Your consultation fee is ordinarily credited to your retainer should you hire this office for work based on the consultation.

Fees for services are billed at hourly rates charged in six–minute increments for the work performed by attorneys and professional staff. Hourly rates are based the costs of doing business and may be adjusted from time to time.

I will normally provide you an estimate of fees and costs at the beginning of your case, and from time to time as circumstances warrant. Although I try to be as accurate with estimates as I can be, they are estimates only and not a guarantee that your case will be completed for a fixed fee or price.

You will ordinarily be required to pay a retainer, an advance deposit for fees and costs, or both.

Retainers are non–refundable. A retainer is ordinarily credited to fees and costs, but it will not be refunded because we have set aside time in anticipation of working for you, whether you use that time or not.

An advance deposit is held in a trust account until needed to pay for fees incurred or costs advanced—advance deposits serve as collateral for the payment of fees and costs we expect will be earned or incurred. We may request additional advance deposits during the course of representing you based on the complexity and anticipated requirements of your case. We will draw from the trust account to pay for fees or costs when statements are not otherwise timely paid as they are billed. Any unused portions of your deposits will be returned to you when your matter is completed.

The term “Fees” means our charges for our professional services—the work performed on your behalf by the attorneys and staff in this office.

The term “Costs” means services, fees or products that must be purchased or acquired from persons or entities other than this office that are necessary to perform our services. The most common costs incurred on a case are court filing fees, depositions, long distance telephone calls, computer assisted legal research, copying, messenger services, postage, publication fees, subpoena fees and process server fees.

Your case may require that other professionals be engaged to assist in the evaluation or trial of your case. This may include the services of an appraiser, accountant, or other experts. You will be required to pay for the services of these professionals before they are hired.

One way we keep you apprised of the work done on your case, and the costs of our work, is by providing you with periodic, comprehensive billing statements.

Any billing questions or concerns should be directed to us immediately upon receipt of your statement. If you have questions regarding a specific charge, we can best help you if you mark your statement and call and discuss the charge. You will not be charge to review a statement or answer questions you have about a bill. Please pay the uncontested portion of your statement to avoid interest charges. We need to hear from you about billing questions or disputed charges within thirty days after a statement, or the charges become final.

Payment for our services and for costs advanced is due on receipt of the statement. If a statement is not paid in its entirety withi ten days, the unpaid balance collects interest at a rate of 18% per annum.

If you have difficulty paying a statement, it is important that you contact my office immediately to discuss payment arrangements. I will normally discontinue work on a case, and withdraw from representation, if a statement is not paid on time and you have not made alternative payment arangements.

It is part of normal practice to invoke our statutory right to place an attorney lien on any money judgment or personal property awarded to you for any balance due on your account.