Opinion ID: 1677249
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Time Consumed

Text: Although all of the criteria set forth above must be taken into consideration by the trier of the facts in determining a proper counsel feeand it has been said that all of these factors should be utilized and applied as the facts so indicateit is generally recognized that the first yardstick that is used by the trial judges is the time consumed. The reason is fairly obvious. Because of the nature of the legal profession, and the demand to make each hour productive, it stands to reason that competent lawyers would not amass huge numbers of hours unless they were absolutely necessary. However, we must beware of slavish adherence to the time criterion to the exclusion of other criteria. To do so would penalize the lawyer who desires to get his work done as rapidly as he can for the benefit of his client and all concerned. Likewise, we all know that some lawyers can accomplish in a few hours what it would take other lawyers several days to accomplish. Here, although the attorney only spent between 8 and 10 hours on the litigation, it was premium, productive time. The time spent resulted in obtaining for his client the amount immediately due, as well as the total amount of the note which ordinarily would not have been due in full until 1985. If Lawyer McFadden had chosen to proceed with foreclosure instead of direct suit on the promissory note, more time would have been consumed and if time were the only factor involved in determining the fee, more fee would have been earned, but the client would have had the embarrassment of not having funds to pay the note that she had to pay on the property.