momof5blessings Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 I hope someone can help us with this. I'm very upset. The first attorney we saw said his fee was 2500 and that included the filing fees.This attorney - which we should have received a 25% discount from through his work EAP (employee assistance program) quoted us a fee of 2100. We talked it over and decided to hire her. She also accepted $500 for a retainer fee instead of the full fee like the other attorney wanted. We received a packet in the mail today. In it she states that in addition to her fee, we need to pay the $299 court fee and $100 for each reaffirmation aggreement (we will have 2) That's an additional $500 that will need to be paid to her.Is this customary???? We don't usually deal with lawyers. I feel blindsided. She also stated that if we choose not to file she will keep any money we have already paid her. If this is normal procedure, I'll just have to deal with it. However, if not, does this mean we now have an attorney we can't trust? We really seemed to connect with her at our meeting and we really liked her. We felt comfortable with her and that she would represent us well. We also like that she can be contacted relatively easy. Now I don't know what to think. I'm also physically exhausted from a very difficult few days and know I can't trust my feelings. I'd really like to get other perspectives on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recovering Attorney Posted April 21, 2007 Report Share Posted April 21, 2007 That is not an outrageous fee. You are responsble for filing fees and costs. They get pricey, but a lawyer cannot eat them for you. She can't keep the $500 unless she does something for the money. But if you liked her, go with her, As Abe Lincoln said " You pay a retainer so the lawyer knows he has a client and the client knows he has a lawyer." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof5blessings Posted April 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 The thing is, the first attorney had it included in his fee, so we thought that's the way it was. She took off 25% as part of the EAP and quoted us the 2100 and then added the filing fee, etc. I didn't know if that was the norm or unusual. We made the mistake of paying her a retainer before signing anything. She now says, in this letter, that any money we have already paid will be towards our consultation and preparing paperwork. So technically, she has done something. However, I thought it was a free consult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jq26 Posted April 22, 2007 Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 I'm amazed how much fees have gone up with the new BK laws. My BK7 was $700 INCLUDING all filing fees back in 2004 before the law changed. And the stupid secretary couldn't add correctly so when I gave her $600 in cash she marked my bill 'paid in full'. In any case, I have read quite a few cases of layers fees being over $1500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof5blessings Posted April 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 I'm not having a real problem with the fee itself. We have an asset case and a business liquidation. It's not simple. I'm having a problem with the fact that the filing fee was not added in with her fee like the other attorney we consulted with. My dh thinks it's our problem because we left her office, then came back about 20 min later to retain her. We simply wrote her a check and she said she'd mail us the agreement. We were just plain dumb. My issue, though, is I wonder if this is her standard procedure - to not include the filing fees in the price she quoted us - or did she take advantage of the fact that we were dumb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
answer2prayer Posted April 22, 2007 Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 I was a legal secretary for many years in my younger years, and really findthis to be a common problem because many attys quote prices differently, some quote with fees included and others quote without fees included...there is really no set standard and definitely no law!I don't believe that she was taking advantage of you for being "dumb" in any shape or form. My 2 cents is it really was just mere miscommunication, as since the other atty had quoted with fees, you just "assumed" her quote was the same, without asking the simple question when she quoted you "does that include filing fees?"...If you really felt comfortable with her, I like RecoveringAttorney say, go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof5blessings Posted April 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 I don't believe that she was taking advantage of you for being "dumb" in any shape or form.My 2 cents is it really was just mere miscommunication, as since the other atty had quoted with fees, you just "assumed" her quote was the same, without asking the simple question when she quoted you "does that include filing fees?"...I appreciate your perspective. We really do like her and would never have expected her to do something underhanded. However, I feel we've been taken advantage of in so many ways over the last few years, that I just "assumed" this was more of the same. Thanks again! I'll just lay this to rest in my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nascar Posted April 22, 2007 Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 to not include the filing fees in the price she quoted us The amount for filing fees is always additional, but is kept in the same account as your retainer and paid for from that account did she take advantage of the fact that we were dumb no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof5blessings Posted April 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2007 Quote:did she take advantage of the fact that we were dumbnoThank you. I appreciate the confirmation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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