How can I get legal fees refunded?

July 25, 2022 6:50 AM

I spent a lot money on an attorney and received very poor representation. I discovered that they did not read any of the background information relevant to the case. The attorney does not represent me anymore (the case is ongoing). How should I ask for my money back?

Are there specific phrases I should use? I have learned that this firm has a reputation for misrepresenting and bilking clients in cases such as mine. (It is a Family Court issue, if that is relevant). Thanks in advance!

posted by tiburon to Law & Government (2 answers total)

You should contact your state bar and see what resources are available to you. Generally (this is state dependent) the bar is going to care a lot more about whether the contract was clear and whether the lawyer worked the amount of hours billed than they will about the quality of representation. For instance, in Oregon, if there was a flat fee arrangement, the bar would care very much about whether the client was fully aware it was a flat fee arrangement , and then move to analyze whether the services provided under the flat fee arrangement were reasonable. But your state may have different protections on stuff like this! Good luck.
posted by Happydaz at 7:15 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]

You are not likely to get a refund based on failure to obtain results or quality of representation. You can focus on whether the lawyer did what they said they did - if it was on an hourly basis, take a close look at what time was docketed and the descriptions. If it was a flat fee, look at the description of services in the retainer agreement. You could ask your current lawyer whether the work described was done based in the file materials. Talking to the law society or bar association may be productive. You may have a right to have the bill reviewed (in my jurisdiction it's by a registrar of the court), but there may be time limits which you should be attentive to.
posted by lookoutbelow at 11:18 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]