Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Massachusetts

Re: Overcharged by my attorney.

What do you MEAN by "overcharged" ? There are a dozen factors that go into what is a reasonable charge, but the first one is what your agreement is; if you agreed to pay for his time and you are causing him to spend it, you might owe him for the time spent listening to the questions. On another hand, if he's charging you $50,000 to defend you from charges of DUI (drunk driving) and most lawyers charge only $10,000, it might be too much no matter how many questions you've asked of him. There are many other factors such as his experience and expertise and even the results accomplished, but if the agreement is for his time and he's spending the time in good faith on your case, well, that's a starting point.

I suggest you waste no time in addressing this very question with your attorney: how come you charge me for the questions I ask that you don't answer? You don't have to get all geared up for a battle nor do you have to be superpolite about things either; just tell him that you want to clear the air and then start right in!

Good luck.

Re: Overcharged by my attorney.

Tell the attorney you want to talk about the bill without being charged for talking about it. Tell him or her you need to be clear on what the deal between yourselves is.

If you get no satisfaction you can go to the Bar Association who has a fee dispute arbitration available.

The best solution is to talk together so there are answers and no suprises going forward.

Charles W. Cobb