How Does AR Family Law Charge for Cases?

Hiring a lawyer can be a stressful and overwhelming experience, especially if you’ve never hired one before. The legal system can be complex and confusing, and finding the right lawyer for your needs can be very stressful.

One of the most stressful parts of hiring a lawyer is the cost. Legal fees can be expensive, and many people may worry that they won’t be able to afford the cost of legal representation. It can be difficult to budget for legal expenses, and the fear of not being able to pay the lawyer can be a significant source of stress.

Understanding the different types of legal fees can help you choose the right lawyer and budget for your legal needs. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the most common types of legal fees, including hourly rates, flat fees, contingency fees, and retainer fees.

Types of Fees Lawyers Charge

Understanding the different types of legal fees can help you choose the right lawyer and budget for your legal needs. We will discuss the most common types of legal fees, including hourly rates, flat fees, and contingency fees.

Flat Fees

A flat fee is a predetermined amount charged by the lawyer for a specific service. Flat fees are common in simple legal cases, such as drafting a will or filing a trademark application. The lawyer and the client agree on the scope of the services to be provided and the amount to be charged. At AR Family Law we take very few cases on a flat fee basis. We've learned over time that most clients want more flexibility than a flat fee provides.

Pros:

• Flat fees provide clarity and transparency in the cost of legal services.

Clients can budget for legal expenses with certainty.

Cons:

• Flat fees may not account for unforeseen circumstances or additional work needed beyond the agreed scope of services.

• Lawyers can't provide additional work beyond what was agreed upon.

  
  

Hourly Rates and Retainers

Hourly rates are one of the most common types of legal fees. With this type of fee structure, the lawyer charges a set hourly rate for their time. Hourly rates can vary widely depending on the experience and location of the lawyer. Lawyers who charge hourly rates typically require an upfront retainer fee, which is a payment made in advance to secure the lawyer’s services. At AR Family Law, we use hourly billing and retainers/deposits on almost all of our cases. This type of fee provides the most flexibility for us to work on exactly what you want us to work on. Plus you only pay for the work and time spent on your case.

Pros:

• Clients only pay for the actual time spent on the case, rather than a predetermined fee.

• Hourly rates can be more cost-effective for smaller cases or when a lawyer’s involvement is limited.

Cons:

• Hourly rates can be unpredictable, making it difficult to budget for legal expenses.

How to Pay Attorney Fees

Legal fees can vary widely depending on the type of case and the lawyer’s fee structure. It’s important to discuss the fee structure with a lawyer before hiring them to ensure that you understand the costs associated with your case. By understanding the different types of legal fees, you can make an informed decision when choosing a lawyer and budget for your legal needs.

Pay the Entire Fee Upfront

For the few flat fee cases that we take the entire fee is due at the time you hire AR Family Law.

Payment Plans

For hourly cases we do offer payment plans. The way our payment plan works is we require a deposit of $3,000 which we hold in our trust account. Every time we do work on your case we record that time, create a bill, and pay that bill from the money you've paid into our trust account. To ensure that your trust account balance does not run out we put every client on a payment plan. The payment plans average $600 per month and can be paid in weekly or bi-weekly payments.

The reason we put everyone on a payment plan is we want to avoid what happens to at most law firms. Most law firms will take the $3,000 deposit, use it for your case, but when it runs out they have to come back and ask you for another $3,000. We've learned that most people would rather pay that over time instead of making multiple large payments.

Financing Your Legal Fees

Yes, we offer financing to our clients. We are able to offer Affirm financing options to our clients. Many people know Affirm from financing all kinds of things. It's the same process when using it with us. Very quick and easy.