Opinion ID: 1711873
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Contract Law Applicability

Text: The court shall determine compensation for attorneys other than public defenders or contract attorneys in accordance with Iowa Code section 815.7. Iowa Code § 815.10(2) (1999). Section 815.7 provides, an attorney who has not entered into a contract ... shall be entitled to reasonable compensation. Id. § 815.7. However, for attorneys who have entered into an indigent defense contract, the court will determine compensation in accordance with the terms of the contract. [2] Id. § 815.10(3). In this case, Hofmeyer signed an indigent defense contract. We have held the amount of compensation due a contract attorney shall be determined in accordance with the terms of the contract. See State Pub. Defender v. Iowa Dist. Ct., 594 N.W.2d 34, 37 (Iowa 1999); Iowa Code § 815.10(3). Under the statute, it is not the role of the district court to establish or determine reasonable compensation for a contract attorney. The district court properly found this case to be a matter of contract law.