If an attorney quotes you a fee “if” they have to represent you in a trial but the case is dismissed without a trial, is the client responsible for the quoted fee?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If an attorney quotes you a fee “if” they have to represent you in a trial but the case is dismissed without a trial, is the client responsible for the quoted fee?
Asked on January 4, 2013 under Criminal Law, Tennessee
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
It depends on the agreement. If the fee was to represent you in the matter through trial and there was no discussion of a discount if the case was dismissed or settled earlier, then you would most likely owe the fee--a court would interpret that agreement to be that you were paying for the representation no matter how long (or short) it was. If the agreement was that the fee would be related to the stage of work completed or the hours put in, you would pay the appropriate amount.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.