Billing

If you’ve got a written agreement for $350/hr., but are being charged $575.00/hr., that’s a problem.  I would advise first bringing the discrepancy to the attorney’s attention.  Remember, people make mistakes.  This may just be as simple as a clerical error when preparing the invoice – particularly, if the attorney’s normal rate is $575, but offered $350 for your matter.  If that doesn’t resolve the issue, definitely find out what in the contract the attorney is relying on for these charges.  If the attorney is truly trying to pull one over for you, you may want to file a grievance with the FL Bar and find a new attorney.  However, again, I’d stress starting with the view that this may be a simple mistake and request it be corrected.