QUESTION
If email correspondences are used but the attorney did not give you a quote beforehand are you required by law to pay?
Asked on Oct 07th, 2014 on Bankruptcy - Connecticut
More details to this question:
We had a Realtor attorney that we used previously but then a bankruptcy situation arose with us being the lenders and asked the attorney a couple questions via email. Neither answer helped us and in the latter email actually referred us to a bankruptcy attorney for better advice. Now he is charging us for two very short, non-helpful emails.
4 ANSWERS
Did you sign a retainer with the lawyer?
Answered on Oct 08th, 2014 at 4:24 PM
Derek W. Freeman
What a jerk! The important question here is whether you have a fee agreement with him. If not, you are not obligated to pay him for anything.
Answered on Oct 08th, 2014 at 4:20 PM
In the absence of a contract as to the amount of fees, attorneys are entitled to be paid for the reasonable value of their services. Are you willing to show up for work at a job where your boss could say I am not paying you today because the work you performed wasn't helpful today? Presumably, you contacted this attorney and asked for advice which was provided to you. The fact that the law was not to your taste is not a good reason to not pay for the work the attorney performed to get the correct legal answer to you.
Answered on Oct 08th, 2014 at 4:20 PM
In your position, I would ignore it. Without a retainer agreement, that attorney could be endangering his license to practice law should you grieve him. Tell him to go pound sand. He will not pursue you in my opinion. If on the other hand you have a representation agreement, to quote the immortal Richard Pryor in the legendary movie Silver Streak, pay the man!
Answered on Oct 08th, 2014 at 10:12 AM
Information provided doesn't create an attorney/client privilege nor constitute an offer of services and is only general responses to hypotheticals