HELP!! .... I think he might be ripping me off!!!

[manifest]

Today I received a fee agreement from my "new" atty, who wrote in the agreement a fee of $3,000. Now, this fee is to cover "everything" leading up to the 341 meeting and confirmation of the "new" plan. Any other services (i.e., filing of motions) will be additional at a rate of $295.00 per hour.

Does this seem strange to anybody besides me??

[pete42]

To me it seems to be in the ball park. My attorney is charging $3100 total to handle the chapt13. Any motions filed would be an additional $175hr. I did a consult with another attorney and he charged the same fee, but he never returned phone calls so we went to this one.

[LALADY]

Much of it depends on the area your attorney is practicing in. I've had several attorneys now in my bankruptcy. I'm paying the latest one an hourly rate of almost $400.

[pete42]

Wow, I'm glad I don live in your city. That seems very high!!!!!!

[LALADY]

Yeah, I live in high rent district. But if I am dismissed under the Ch7, my current attorney will have been worth every last penny due to my situation.

[manifest]

Thanks everyone!!

[Flamingo]

To give you a base figure for the Mid-Atlantic area...we paid $1,800 (which included filing fees) in early 2002 to file...flip forward to the more work required with the new BK law in effect in 2005...and fees are always higher if your matter is complicated. Your fee is well within the ballpark range 8 years after our noncomplicated Chapter 13 filing.

[Nanzee]

Well we paid $4500.00 - $2500.00 to retain his services, and the rest part of my Chapter 13 plan. And we also had to sign a contract stating what could ensue extra charges. I am in NY (Long Island). His fees were standard here.

[forgotten]

I was charged $250/hr and put $1500 down, the rest was in the plan.
About $2500 extra ended up being billed to the plan. Could have billed $50k to the plan for all I cared.

[CCB35]

In Northeast Tn ,My total attorney fee was $1600.

[HHM]

Today I received a fee agreement from my "new" atty, who wrote in the agreement a fee of $3,000. Now, this fee is to cover "everything" leading up to the 341 meeting and confirmation of the "new" plan. Any other services (i.e., filing of motions) will be additional at a rate of $295.00 per hour.

Does this seem strange to anybody besides me??

Nope, that is fairly standard. Also, in a chapter 13, anything additional is usually pulled from the chapter 13 plan, not out of your pocket. Basically, your attorney will send the bill to the chapter 13 trustee.

[manifest]

Well, it sounds like I am "not" getting ripped off!!! And, I may have forgot to say he did not charge me any down payment. He stated ALL of his fees will become apart of my plan. So, no $$$$$$ out of "pocket." Hoooooooooooooooooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!

[HHM]

Well, it sounds like I am "not" getting ripped off!!! And, I may have forgot to say he did not charge me any down payment. He stated ALL of his fees will become apart of my plan. So, no $$$$$$ out of "pocket." Hoooooooooooooooooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!

Well, I am not a fan of that arrangement. It creates a potential conflict of interest. For example, let's say your plan is borderline or you decide to not make your payments...now your attorney has not been paid for work he has already done, do you really think he will keep working for you? Also, if you really cannot pay some money up front for a chapter 13, the odds of you having a successful chapter 13 are slim.

Attorneys that roll ALL their fees into the plan strike me as desperate and not someone I would want representing me.

[manifest]

Well, I guess I have to differ with you on this one!.... I have retained well over 8 attorney's within the last 10 years to represent me re: 13 or 7. There was only one attorney who requested a retainer fee, prior to filing my case. All of the other attorney's just rolled their fees in the plan. Maybe this is how it's done in WA........ Oh, with regards to him being "desparate" I don't think this is the case. He works alongside a firm of approximately 10 other attorney's and multiple paralegals, assistants, etc.... They have at least 15 offiices throughout a 250 mile radius.

Trust me they're "top-notch" ....

[LadyInTheRed]

Well, I am not a fan of that arrangement. It creates a potential conflict of interest. For example, let's say your plan is borderline or you decide to not make your payments...now your attorney has not been paid for work he has already done, do you really think he will keep working for you? Also, if you really cannot pay some money up front for a chapter 13, the odds of you having a successful chapter 13 are slim.

Attorneys that roll ALL their fees into the plan strike me as desperate and not someone I would want representing me.

I have some back up for that position. I consulted with an attorney today who told me that if attorneys weren't paid a bulk of their fee through the Chap 13 plan they wouldn't be inspired to do any work to make sure the plan is successful.