How We Bill

We like to be upfront about our billing process. For that reason, you can learn about our firm’s billing methods below. The method of billing will vary based on the nature of each client’s case. Click the sections below to learn more about each method.

Hourly Billing

Using an hourly fee agreement, fees are charged based on the amount of time a case requires. Lewis McDaniels tracks time by fractions of an hour, in 6-minute increments (.1 hours). The length of time spent on a case by an attorney and staff differs greatly based on the specific issues involved.

Typically, the drafting of most custom contracts and cases involving litigation are billed using an hourly system. It is important to note that there may be additional expenses incurred, such as filing fees, court costs, records fees, expert fees, vendor fees, and discovery expenses.

Hybrid Billing

A hybrid fee agreement combines two or more types of fee agreements. A hybrid fee agreement is typically used in situations where a client only desires legal help for a particular portion of a larger issue. For example, under a hybrid agreement, an attorney may draft a document such as a demand letter for a flat rate, then charge an hourly rate for any subsequent legal work.

Hybrid fee agreements are intended to be flexible and attempt to mitigate some of the reservations that individuals may have when assessing their legal options.

Fixed Billing

Under a fixed fee agreement, a flat rate is often paid up front and covers the entirety of a particular issue.

A fixed fee agreement clearly states which services, expenses, and/or fees will be included in the representation.

This type of fee arrangement is most commonly used for routine matters such as some landlord/tenant cases, some document drafting, estate planning, and foreclosures.

Contingency Billing

A contingency fee agreement is a type of fee arrangement under which the attorneys are compensated depending on the outcome of the case. In other words, the client is not charged any attorneys’ fees unless the client receives some form of compensation (typically either a settlement or court award). Generally, under a contingency fee agreement, the attorneys’ fees will be calculated as a percentage of the amount recovered on behalf of the client. The percentage normally varies depending on the stage of the case. Contingency fee arrangements are most often used for cases involving things such as car accidents, personal injury, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, and employment discrimination. Although the attorneys’ fees are dependent on the status of a case, clients may be responsible for payment of certain legal expenses, such as filing fees, court costs, records fees, expert fees, vendor fees, and discovery expenses.