| Share | | | | partnership charged legal fees over a five year period |
| A certain 60 year old woman has been paying her | | | | of up to approximately 60 per cent of one six figure |
| attorney every month for legal fees accrued four | | | | estate. The case was from the estate of a man |
| years ago. The attorney represented her in her | | | | who was ruled unable to tend to his own affairs. The |
| disability case with the state compensation fund | | | | partners involved in this case were ordered to make |
| office, which amounted to her winning a $101 | | | | restitution to the estate for the monies they took. |
| monthly payment. Another lawyer has collected a | | | | The lawyer who brought the case against them was |
| monthly payment from a disabled miner for the last | | | | considered eccentric by his peers. Other lawyers |
| ten years. Of the $134 the miner gets each month, | | | | would have nothing to do with it. |
| the lawyer takes a large share. | | | | News stations and newspapers do not help the legal |
| These cases show that the poor really can't afford | | | | fee problem, and actually almost encourage the |
| legal fees, and the cases themselves are not unusual. | | | | shady dealings by behaving as if the court system is |
| One case showed a couple who received welfare. | | | | not a news source. Though the fees awarded |
| The husband was bedridden because of his cancer. | | | | guardians and lawyers are certainly newsworthy, this |
| Difficulty paying legal fees affect more than just | | | | isn't widely reported. It is easily seen at local courts. |
| poor clients. Middle class bank accounts are robbed, | | | | Bar associations aid in the hiding of such information. |
| too. | | | | They don't want anything to come between the |
| According to one author, because the middle class | | | | client and lawyer relationship currently in place. Should |
| have a little money and they really have no power | | | | a story that may put the legal profession in a dark |
| when it comes to things like legislative decisions, they | | | | light be reported, the bar association quickly acts. |
| have become one of the most common victims. | | | | These days, lawyers are more inclined to accept the |
| Analyzing the situation would be interesting because, | | | | contingent fee arrangements over the hourly fee |
| also according to the author, the middle class spawns | | | | agreements, even though they track their time by |
| the majority of our new lawyers. | | | | hours. One lawyer, in conjunction with his bar |
| Lawyer's fees are determined by an hourly rate. | | | | association, wants minimum fees applied to all cases. |
| According to lawyers, plumbers and doctors get paid | | | | This is known as the contingent fee, which is a |
| for their work, so why shouldn't they? Of course, | | | | percentage of the case winnings. Expect to be |
| there is no disagreement that attorneys should be | | | | charged somewhere from twenty-five through fifty |
| compensated for their time, but the question remains: | | | | percent of the award. |
| how much should they be paid in cases of workers' | | | | This kind of fee is a purely American creation, just |
| compensation where the payments can last a | | | | like poker. England, and most of Europe for that |
| lifetime? Divorces, will probates, and real estate | | | | matter, won't allow lawyers to collect contingency |
| investment can result in lifelong payments to lawyers. | | | | fees. The contingency fee was first used in the US |
| There have been cases of lawyers who steal from | | | | around 1848. It was used to help injured workers. |
| their victims, like orphans and widows who have | | | | Because these workers didn't have the money to |
| money that is trusted to the lawyer. Rather than | | | | hire a lawyer, the contingent fee was the only way |
| actually steal the money, other lawyers just charge | | | | the lawyer could get paid. |
| outrageous amounts for their services. One | | | | |