attorney's fee

n. the payment for legal services. It can take several forms: 1) hourly charge, 2) flat fee for the performance of a particular service (like $250 to write a will), 3) contingent fee (such as one-third of the gross recovery, and nothing if there is no recovery), 4) statutory fees (such as percentages of an estate for representing the estate), 5) court-approved fees (such as in bankruptcy or guardianships), 6) some mixture of hourly and contingent fee or other combination. It is wise (and often mandatory) for the attorney and the client to have a signed contract for any extensive legal work, particularly in contingent fee cases. Most attorneys keep records of time spent on cases to justify fees (and keep track of when actions were taken), even when the work is not on an hourly basis. A "retainer" is a down payment on fees, often required by the attorney in order to make sure he or she is not left holding the bag for work performed, or at least as a good faith indication that the client is serious and can afford the services. On the other hand, contingent fees require limits (often one-third) to protect the unwary client. Attorney fee disputes can be decided by arbitration often operated by the local bar association. Attorney's fees are not awarded to the winning party in a lawsuit except where there is a provision in a contract for the fees or there is a statute which provides for an award of fees in the particular type of case.

References in periodicals archive ?

To avoid this economic bar to court access, many contracts contain a prevailing party attorney's fee clause that requires the loser to pay the winner's attorney's fees in addition to any principal damages.

OP-ED: Companies in a seasonal lull may want to review contract forms

We hold that when parties enter into a contract and litigation later ensues over that contract, attorney's fees may be recovered under a prevailing-party attorney's fee provision contained therein even though the contract is rescinded or held to be unenforceable.

Navigating the Changing Landscape of Attorneys' Fee Litigation in Florida

a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the costs." (4)

The statute, the Constitution, the caselaw, and the appellate lawyer as sleuth

Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacates the $13 million attorney's fee award and remands.

Attorney fees

Justice Rehnquist, writing for the majority, reached this conclusion by interpreting certain statutes with similar language to the Clean Air Act through the lens of the American Rule, under which a successful party generally need not pay the unsuccessful party's attorney's fee. (180) Specifically, the majority in Ruckelshaus found it dispositive that other federal statutes contained language permitting a total departure from the American Rule if a party "'represents an interest which would substantially contribute to a fair determination of the issues,' even if the participant's views were rejected." (181) However, section 307(f) of the Clean Air Act contained no such language regarding a total departure from the American Rule.

Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co.: breathing new life into claimants' ability to obtain attorney's fees under ERISA's civil enforcement provision

The Court first looked to the language of the Erisa statue, which provides that "the court in its discretion may allow a reasonable attorney's fee and costs ...

'Prevailing Party' not a requirement: The Supreme Court eases the way to collecting attorney's fees in Erisa claims

reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party as part of the

Interpreting rule 68 to conform with the Rules Enabling Act

The parties, Forge LLC and Pearson, executed a $75,739.91 promissory note that provided for 10 percent interest, a 5 percent late fee and reasonable attorney's fees. The note also gave Turner, a CPA, the authority to confess judgment.

Court lacked jurisdiction over confessed judgment

The decision overturns a 2016 Court of Appeals ruling and holds that a Buncombe County Superior Court judge didn't exceed his authority by approving attorney's fees for a retroactive Industrial Commission award to a bartender injured on the job.

Judge could alter workers' comp attorney fee award

Determining the correct treatment of settlement and litigation award payments is a multistep process requiring the determination of the character of the payment and the nature of the claim that gave rise to it; whether the payment constitutes an item of gross income; if the payment relates to an employment claim, whether the payment is wages for employment tax purposes; and the appropriate reporting for the payment of any attorney's fees.

Tax Consequences of Settlement and Litigation Award Payments: Determining the Correct Treatment

To prevent their exclusion in potential litigation, the merger clause should specifically identify these documents as being components of a single transaction.<br />The merger clause is an overlooked but important tool that confirms the parties' obligations and discourages costly litigation.<br />Attorney's fee provisions<br />Clients commonly and often mistakenly believe that attorney's fees are awarded to the prevailing party in a lawsuit.

Advocate's View: Litigation issues in transactional documents: arbitration clauses, merger clauses and attorney's fee provisions

Specially, the Minnesota federal court judge ruled that Octane is entitled to $1,633,333 in attorney's fees and court costs of $144,697.