My lawyer is keeping my money

   Best advice- read your retainer agreement- some agreements say that once you pay the initial retainer it is "earned," meaning that even if you decide not to proceed once you leave the lawyer's office, (s)he can keep all of the funds or part of the funds.   If the agreement does not say that, ask for an itemized bill and then ask for any funds that were not used in your case when you decided not to proceed.   As an aside, I never agreed with nor have I had that type of retainer, and have sent many clients back funds when they do not want to go forward or the full amount was not used for fees and costs.  However, if the retainer provides the lawyer can keep the money then it is perfectly legal. Best wishes, Cindy S. Vova Law Offices of Cindy S. Vova, P.A. Broward/Boca Raton 954-316-3496/561-962-2785