Need To Hire An Attorney? 4 Easy Ways To Keep Your Legal Fees Under Control

21 November 2014
 Categories: Law, Blog

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If you're involved in a legal battle, you need to consult with a lawyer. Even if you decide to go it alone, the lawyer will be able to help you understand what you're going to be up against. If you do choose to hire a lawyer, you're going to want to keep the legal fees under control.

Ask For A Payment Plan

If your case is going to be costly, you may be able to ask your attorney for a payment plan. This can help you spread the cost of your legal fees over several months. With payment plans, you can pay for services as they're rendered, which can help eliminate larger bills later on. Payment plans can also help out when you're on a fixed income and can't come up with all the money at once.

Get Monthly Bills

To keep track of your expenses, it's a good idea to keep track of what you're paying for. Ask your attorney to send you monthly statements that detail the expenditures. You'll be able to see where your money is going. Detailed statements can also help you determine when your retainer fee is about to run out.

Try To Limit The Office Visits

The cost of office visits can run your legal fees up very quickly. Try to limit the amount of times you visit your lawyer. If you know that you're going to be dealing with several issues, try to schedule one meeting to take care of everything. Be sure to keep a detailed record of each office visit. For instance, write down how long you were in the office, and what was discussed. By keeping detailed records, you can keep track of the hourly fee you'll be paying later.

Resist The Urge To Make Frequent Phone Calls

You should try to keep the phone calls to a minimum for a couple of reasons. First, each phone call that your attorney has to return is time that could have been spent preparing your case. Second, you're going to be paying for each of those phone calls. You can keep your legal fees under control by limiting your phone calls. Before you call your attorney, be sure that it's a pressing matter that can't wait.

Even if your attorney is working on a contingency basis, meaning you won't be charged until your case is settled, you'll still want to keep your legal fees under control. You can help reduce the cost of your case by following the simple guidelines discussed earlier. By following those steps, you can keep your legal fees to a minimum.