Other lawyers, however, may want to meet briefly with you instead of discussing your problem over the telephone. Don't be reluctant to ask the lawyer about his or her qualifications, experience, continuing legal education. Be sure to ask the lawyer about the fees involved and request a written fee agreement or letter that indicates how much the lawyer will charge and what services the fee will include. Not all lawyers charge in the same manner. When you agree to a fixed fee, be sure you know what it does an does not include and if there could be additional charges.
Many lawyers charge by the hour and the hourly rate varies from lawyer to lawyer.
Your total bill can be estimated by having the lawyer project the amount of time your case will take and provide a list of filing fees and other costs. A retainer fee can be used to guarantee that the lawyer will be available to take a particular case and could mean that the lawyer would have to turn down some other cases in order to remain available. With this type of fee agreement, the client may be billed separately for the legal work that is done. Since this type of fee arrangement can mean several different things, be sure to have the lawyer explain the fee arrangement. This type of charge often is used in personal injury cases when you are suing someone for money.