Has anyone ever had to use a solicitor or know anything about their fee? We are having to use one atm with house settlement and stuff.

Can they charge for whatever they want and how ever much they want? Is there a rule of thumb rule they must go off?

We just got a statement from them (hatzis lawyers) and to my mum and I, they charge for things they should be.

Some of them are

Perusing Leter from backtracker investigations regarding outstanding account $14.75

Telephone incoming from dads mother as power of attorney regarding court proceedings $59

Telephone incoming other solicitors regarding court proceedings and directions/orders/disclosure/response $147.50

Perusing Fax from other side regarding attending by telephone at mention date $14.75

Personal attendance on client - fed magistrates courrt - mention $590


When they came to court with us, we were in and out under an hour. They charge roughly $275 an hour to appear in court. Before court we got a call from them saying the solicitor is stuck in traffic, go tell the judge and she will meet us there. It appears that they are changing us for their travelling time, is that normal?

Just wondering if these fees are normal with solicitors?

Cheers

Call the QLS if you dispute anything.

They seem legitimate. Ask yourself, was the solicitor doing something on my file? ie Would the solicitor be travelling but for my hearing? Was the solicitor reading a document on my matter?

Also, thats what you get for not using an eagle st lawyer. we never have to travel so no wasted charge.

Also, who appeared for you? Partner? Solicitor?

On second glace $275 for a junior solicitor is excessive, especially for this sort of matter.

They would have given you a client agreement which would set out the rates for different practioners. If you signed it what's your problem?

That amount may also include incidential prepartion for the hearing. Most litigators spend the morning of a hearing/trial refreshing on every document in the file and that time needs to be billed.

last edited by fade at 12:00:59 20/Aug/09

last edited by fade at 12:01:37 20/Aug/09

challenge any bill where you don't feel you are getting value for money. solicitors just pad out their timesheets and then send them up to their partners to issue bills. they rarely stop think if they are giving their client value.

^ yup ^

I used to work for a public accountant firm and the s*** we'd pad up and sent out to try and get budget....

Always round up and find things to add to the bill! That was my moto :)

^^ I'm still looking for a billing code for QGL.

On settlement of a house they should charge a set fee.

On other items they will charge what they like

^^ I'm still looking for a billing code for QGL.

I used to call it research, (or biggest retainer client).

Wasnt the law changed this year so that they had to tell you up front what their fees were ?

The client agreement sets out the hourly rates.

Infi - research isn't bad. Perusal and settling works as well.

i used one of those mobs that charges a flat fee for all property settlements
i knew going into it that it wouldn't cost me anything more than $1100 inc regardless of what happened

paid that upfront and had settlement on time

There's only two industries I can think of where they charge in 6 minute increments. It's easy for them to pad things out by a minute or two as a result.

And yeah, it sounds pretty normal to me for them to charge for travel. If they're 30 minutes traveling, that's 30 minutes they could have spent billing other clients.

i used one of those mobs that charges a flat fee for all property settlements

Yea, if you use a conveyancer such as Conveyancing Works, you know exactly how much you're going to be charged without them adding in any extras. Boyfriend used them for his house settlement and called them whenever he needed to, without them billing him for their time spent on the phone to him.

All I know is I'd tread lightly before I would dispute that kind of stuff. A mate of mine is a lawyer at a place near the gabba, they had a client trying to get out of paying $500 in fees.
So his boss told him that he had to drop all his other work and focus entirely on getting that $500 and anything else out of the guy just out of spite, like $500 wasn't much they just wanted to f*** him over.

^^ uncommon. Who would want to lose income over spite? boss is oviously a poor businessman.

The firm I'm at has almost exclusively corporate clients, so we don't have this problem. If a client is late or avoiding paying but they are repeat business they often get leeway. Although on occasion we have sued, and liquidated/bankrupted clients.

For anyone in fee for service kind of work and running a firm or agency anything under $200-300 is not really worth doing so don't expect them to shave anything off. Looks pretty reasonable to me.

hatzis lawyers

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/577817.jpg

yeah, I remember my solicitor was in excess of 1k. I think that's including surveying... cant remember.

http://www.qls.com.au/content/lwp/wcm/connect/QLS/You+%26+Your+Solicitor/If+you+Have+Concerns/What+to+do+if+you+are+Concerned

and

http://www.lsc.qld.gov.au/30.htm#eeeee

But fade knows what's what.

So summary.

1) Read your client agreement (If you never signed one ring the QLS immediately. They are obliged by law to provide you one)

2) If in reference to your client agreement, the charges appear illegitimate call the QLS for quick advice. There are a number of options available to dispute your legal fees. However theres no point jumping in the deep end straight away if they are kosher.

s*** should have done law.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

i paid a mate a carton to do my house conveyancing n all the legal stuff for house settlement... i still think a 6pack would have been enough but what the hell :D

Never fear demon, he will call in the favour one day.

You'll find most professionals are happy to act quid pro quo with mates.