Payment Options
Legal fees are a legitimate concern that many clients have when embarking upon a divorce, custody dispute, or other legal matter. My law firm believes that legal fees must be reasonable to preserve the financial resources of our clients and their children. That’s one reason why we encourage settlement whenever possible. Settlement is the best way to maintain control over the outcome of a divorce case and minimize legal expenses. If settlement is not possible, we believe in delegating some tasks to associates and paralegals to maximize efficiency. We do not charge for secretarial time, faxes, or long distance telephone calls as some firms do.
Like most divorce lawyers, our fees are based upon an hourly billing rate. My billing rate is very competitive in comparison to other divorce lawyers who are AAML Fellows in Western Pennsylvania. Price should not be the only consideration when choosing a lawyer, however; experience and personal rapport are equally important.
Each month, my law firm prepares detailed invoices describing the work we have performed for our clients, how much time was spent, and the charges. I am primarily responsible for the legal strategy in my cases, including communications with my clients and opposing counsel. To save money for my clients, I delegate some tasks that can be performed more cheaply by an associate or paralegal, but only with my clients’ permission. Sometimes, when a case requires travel, we will choose local counsel to file papers and present motions.
Ordinarily, my law firm requires a retainer to be paid when new clients retain us to represent them. Our retainer is fully refundable if it has not been used up when our representation is concluded or terminated. The retainer is determined by the complexity of the issues. My law firm accepts checks and major credit cards to pay the retainer and monthly invoices.
Brian C. Vertz is a Pittsburgh divorce lawyer with more than 15 years’ experience in family law litigation and appeals, including divorce, custody, child support, premarital agreements, settlement agreements, division of marital property, business valuation, and business succession planning.
BVSource is a Pennsylvania Divorce Site written by a Pittsburgh Divorce Lawyer.