Legal Question in Family Law in California

unethical behavior...questionable billing?
Gave attorney $5,000 retainer for representation. Never got fee schedule. No fee agreement given nor signed. Got bill showing very high completely unexpected rates that I could not afford for phone call and one letter. Notified lawyer stop all work immediately by phone and fax. He then had me come into office to try and get me to sign agreement. I would not because of the $500 per hour fees. Then proceeded to tell me ''too late'' I benefited from the letter he wrote and he would not give me any money back. He then continued working on case and billed me for coming into (at his request) to discuss his rates and my discontinuing his services. He has since billed me for additional services to justify using full retainer with no benefit to my case. I repeat no benefit at ALL to my case. Can he retain my monies when there was obviously no meeting of the minds, never giving me a contract to sign until after i told him to stop work for failure to inform me of fee usage? He said the retainer was for way more services then what it turned out to be.

Asked on 8/13/08, 3:04 am

Lyle Johnson Bedi and Johnson Attorneys at Law

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Re: unethical behavior...questionable billing?

You can contact the state bar association and request information about attorney fee arbitration.

Answered on 8/22/08, 10:15 pm

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