Attorney Billing Practices tick me off

[wdfifteen]

I just got a bill from an attorney. I only used this guy this once because my attorney couldn't handle the issue (the other party is also her client). So the guy draws up this lease from a template he has and sends it to me. It was such a piece of boilerplate that he only changed the names on the first page. He sent it to me to approve and the only correction I had was to change the name on pages 2 and 3 from that of his last client to mine. On the bill he charged me a quarter of an hour for making changes that should never have been needed in the first place - 60 bucks.

It reminded me of another attorney I had draw up a contract for me that was eventually disputed. The other lawyer said it wasn't a valid contract. It went before a judge and the judge said yes, there are some basic things in here that have to be in an agreement like this, and threw it out. Not only did the lawyer not apologize, he sent me a bill for $600. He charged ME $600 to stand there and listen to the judge tell him he's and idiot and his client (me) is screwed.

The lawyer we used for my dad's estate said he couldn't find the will. We went through about half the process of settling intestate when someone in his office found the will. He still charged $1200 for preparing the intestate papers. Not even an apology.

This just seems shameless to me. It's not like they tried to do a good job and were bested by circumstances. In what other profession can you so blatantly screw up and blithely hand your client a bill for your mistakes?

OK, end of rant.

[masraum]

good stuff. I, fortunately, haven't had to have much dealing with them. I hope it stays that way.

[dennis in se pa]

Don't pay the bill.

[legion]

Doctors and dentists can bill you for their screw-ups too.

[M.D. Holloway]

I wish there was a firm (although it prolly wouldn't be accepted by the legal community) that provided all the boiler plates and provided guidance at a fraction of the cost.

You would think that with computational ability, a flow-chart decision tree could be developed that would really take the punch out of the cost...

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

...In what other profession can you so blatantly screw up and blithely hand your client a bill for your mistakes?

OK, end of rant.

Politics??? ....for when your're ready to rant some more

[Rick Lee]

I got a letter from a lawyer once, who was representing my HOA and trying to collect my late quarterly dues. Problem was that the HOA had changed hands and sent me a letter saying they'd send me a new coupon book with new payment address, which they never did. I could never get anyone there on the phone and figured I'd get a bill from them eventually. Lawyer's demand letter tacked on their fee for the letter. Turns out the lawyer's office was two floors down from my office in the same bldg. Couldn't get her on the phone and receptionist wouldn't let me see her. I finally tracked down the pres. of the HOA, told him all this and he said he'd take care of it. I never paid that fee or even a late fee.

[Bugsinrugs]

I am in the middle of a lawsuit about my neighbors tenant polluting the ground on his property and mine. Once you enter into the lawyer world there is no going back. Over thirty thousand spent so far and no resolution in sight. If I email my lawyer for any updates I get a bill. This really sucks the life out of me.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

I wish there was a firm (although it prolly wouldn't be accepted by the legal community) that provided all the boiler plates and provided guidance at a fraction of the cost.

You would think that with computational ability, a flow-chart decision tree could be developed that would really take the punch out of the cost...

not an endorsement, but this sounds along the lines of what you are looking for (although it seems more "fill in the blank" than "flowchart"):

LegalZoom | Start a Business, Protect Your Family: LLC Wills Trademark Incorporate & More Online

[jamesnmlaw]

I just got a bill from an attorney.
You're going to get a bill if you hire someone to do something; hopefully you had a contract with the attorney outlining work to be done, amount to be paid.

I only used this guy this once because my attorney couldn't handle the issue
Did your usual atty recommend this atty? Advise you to go to that atty? Bad ju-ju if so and you should complain to your usual atty. Your usual atty may be libel or have a malpractice issue if there is an "arrangement" of some sort. Any of my clients ask me for a reference I give them the referral line provided by my state bar.

(the other party is also her client).
More bad ju-ju. Here in the high, high desert both you and the other party'd have to expressly agree to be represented by the same atty. That may or may not apply anymore or everywhere but I wouldn't represent both parties without expressed, informed concurrence.

So the guy draws up this lease from a template he has and sends it to me. It was such a piece of boilerplate that he only changed the names on the first page. He sent it to me to approve and the only correction I had was to change the name on pages 2 and 3 from that of his last client to mine.
Should've fired him right there and complained to your usual atty.

On the bill he charged me a quarter of an hour for making changes that should never have been needed in the first place - 60 bucks.
NFW. Dispute the charge. Tell you usual atty to pay the $60. Narc to the state bar fee resolution police - they love this kind of thing.

It reminded me of another attorney I had draw up a contract for me that was eventually disputed. The other lawyer said it wasn't a valid contract. It went before a judge and the judge said yes, there are some basic things in here that have to be in an agreement like this, and threw it out. Not only did the lawyer not apologize, he sent me a bill for $600. He charged ME $600 to stand there and listen to the judge tell him he's and idiot and his client (me) is screwed.
Another matter for the fee resolution police and perhaps the state supreme court's disciplinary board gestapo.

The lawyer we used for my dad's estate said he couldn't find the will. We went through about half the process of settling intestate when someone in his office found the will. He still charged $1200 for preparing the intestate papers. Not even an apology. Ditto above.

This just seems shameless to me. It's not like they tried to do a good job and were bested by circumstances. In what other profession can you so blatantly screw up and blithely hand your client a bill for your mistakes?
Yep, I'm an atty. I am honest and therefore poor. I don't like the type of attys you reference. Spank 'em, kick 'em in the nuts, rub their noses in their own filth.

OK, end of rant.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, me too.

[Dantilla]

On the other hand, some of the best "Return on Investment" I've received is some attorney bills I've paid.

[biosurfer1]

Luckily October 21st is just around the corner and according to Doc Brown, we've abolished all lawyers by then...here's to hoping anyways!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by jamesnmlaw

Did your usual atty recommend this atty? Advise you to go to that atty? Bad ju-ju if so and you should complain to your usual atty. Your usual atty may be libel or have a malpractice issue if there is an "arrangement" of some sort. Any of my clients ask me for a reference I give them the referral line provided by my state bar.

Interesting. I thought they referred clients to each other all the time. She recommended both attornies. I thought she was doing us a favor.

Originally Posted by jamesnmlaw

(the other party is also her client).
More bad ju-ju. Here in the high, high desert both you and the other party'd have to expressly agree to be represented by the same atty. That may or may not apply anymore or everywhere but I wouldn't represent both parties without expressed, informed concurrence.

Neither would she. She wants to keep us both as clients in the future so she recommended we both go to someone else for this relatively simple matter.