How can I prove that attorney fees are unreasonable .. can I get some hints what should I looking at in the papers I have

How can I prove that attorney fees are unreasonable .. can I get some hints what should I looking at in the papers I have from attorney..

I just need detail: look at details of fees on the bill he sent.. and what else .

it is difficult to dispute this since attorney knows how to do this better than me .. - Is this your question? Add additional information
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Answers (3)

Erik Glen Swanson

Erik Glen Swanson

Contributor Level 7
It's very difficult to answer this question because we don't know the nature of the bill or the context of the case. For instance, a complex legal matter may require extensive research and complex facts often require many hours to sort them out. Even items that might seem excessive, such as (for example), six hours to "review response" might be perfectly fine if the response was long and/or complicated.

If you have specific concerns, you should contact your attorney and discuss them with her. Any good attorney will take time to explain the bill and the charges if your concerns are merited. If the problem isn't really the fees but that the attorney is just too expensive for you or that you call ten times a time and get billed accordingly, you don't really have a legitimate dispute.

Disclaimer: This answer is provided as a public service and as a general response to a general question, it is not meant, and should not be relied upon as specific legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.
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Ronald Anthony Sarno

Ronald Anthony Sarno

Contributor Level 9
A reasonable fee is one which a similar attorney with a similar background would charge for a similar case.
A lawyer one year out of law school might be the least expensive in his or her area. But a lawyer one year out of law school with a Ph.D. in chemistry and ten years as a paralegal in a firm specializing in patent infringement might well be expected to charge much more. In most states partners charge more than associates and larger law firms more than small mid size firm. My home state of NJ has a fee arbitration system where a client can protest an "unfair" bill. I have been a lawyer for almost 20 years, I have litigated approximately 300 trials, and am a NJ certified trial attorney. My office bills me out at $350 per hour unless I am on a contingency retainer.

You might find my legal guide on selecting and hiring a lawyer helpful.
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Mr. Sarno is licensed to practice law in NJ and NY. His response here is not legal advice and does not create an attorney/ client relationship. The response is in the form of legal education and is intended to provide general information about the matter in question. Many times the questioner may leave out details which would make the reply unsuitable. Mr. Sarno strongly advises the questioner to confer with an attorney in their own state to acquire more information.
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Clark AD Wilson

Clark AD Wilson Avvo Pro

Contributor Level 5
The word "reasonable" is interpretable in 100 different ways by 100 different people. What type of law? What type of firm? What level of experience? How complicated the project? Geographic reasonableness? Time constraints? No two issues are identical.

It is very hard to get a judge to change your bill. Most likely you should contact the attorney and try to work something out.
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