What is the Fair Price for Attorney Services in California

How much is the real cost of hiring an attorney in California? How can one know that he has been given the fair and appropriate price to a lawyer for legal services?

Attorney services in California are undoubtedly valuable, especially in a lawsuit. Knowing the difference between fair and excessive price often depends on a case. Legal fees vary according to circumstances in every case.

Moreover, the price of a legal service usually depends on the arrangement between the legal counsel and his client. However, a client has many options to take before deciding on the appropriate price to pay for an attorney’s invaluable service.

Here are a few points to know how professional fees generally work:

• Injury or Accident Cases - Most personal injury cases are charged on "contingency," meaning that the lawyer agrees to take a certain percentage of the settlement or judgment, usually one-third. After the contingency fee has been paid, the remainder goes to the client. If the client does not win the case, the attorney will receive nothing.

  On the other hand, a contingency fee may also be on a sliding scale – an attorney gets a higher or lower percentage depending on the size or amount of the settlement or judgment. If the award is large, a legal counsel may get a bigger amount and vice versa.



• Non-Injury Civil Cases - Family law, estate planning, real estate, and almost all other non-injury civil cases are billed on an hourly basis. Legal fees vary from case to case and lawyer to lawyer. Factors such as the attorney's experience and type of case will affect hourly pricing.

  While an attorney experienced in handling cases similar to yours may be more preferable, expect to pay more for any specialization. Expect to pay an initial retainer when the legal professional agrees to take the case, to secure the attorney services.



• Retainers - A retainer is an amount that “represents a certain number of the legal work hours at a set price, sometimes representing an estimate of the total cost of the lawyer's services on the case”.

  In retainer basis, a client pays his attorney in advance. By accepting the retainer, the legal advocate is agreeing not only work on your case, but also to decline any other cases that might present a conflict of interest with your case.



• Criminal Cases – For criminal cases, a flat fee paid up front, which is normal pricing practice. Because of the complexities of a criminal case, pricing like contingency fees or hourly rates may not be applied on these cases.

  Such cases typically involve numerous and difficult legal procedures like preliminary hearing, jury selection, trial, motions, writs and appeals, etc. When a client is facing serious charges, one is advised to get the best legal counsel that he could afford.

One of the key things to keep in mind when seeking the right attorney services in California for your case is to avoid letting the service cost dictate your choice. The best way to choose an attorney is to meet them, discuss your case, ask questions, and have your concerns addressed directly.

At any rate, the fair price of attorney services is often the amount that you and your legal counsel agree.