RP Generally, paralegals who are firm employees do not set their billing rates. Business matters relating to fees are left to the firm's administrators or attorneys.
Many paralegals are, however, responsible for keeping track of their time.
This article will provide a short background on the recovery of fees, a brief discussion of decisions affecting paralegal fees, and some helpful tips for preparing bills for the client. As with any rule, however, there are exceptions. The statutory exception arises when a specific statute provides for fees to the prevailing party, e.g. , the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The contractual exception occurs when a contract between parties provides for attorney fees if the contract must be enforced. There are several federal codes and state statutes that provide for the recovery of paralegal time.