What types of fee arrangements does Hook Law Center use?

Our fees are normally one of three types: 1) Fixed fee, 2) Percentage Fee, or 3) Hourly Billing.

For the majority of our cases we charge a fixed fee for legal services. This fee is set at the initial meeting based upon: the facts disclosed at the initial meeting; the difficulty of the issues involved, and; our estimate of the time that will be required to provide the requested services. For example, we will commonly use fixed fees for estate planning, Medicaid asset protection planning and uncontested guardianships.

Percentage fees are commonly used when we serve as a fiduciary such as an executor, trustee, or guardian. When we use a percentage fee for serving as a fiduciary we will provide you with a copy of the court approved fee schedule. The percentage is based on the amount of funds and/or assets we are managing. Percentage fees are typically billed on a quarterly basis.

Hourly billing is used when we cannot determine in advance the extent of the necessary services that may be required. For example, we typically use hourly billing for the negotiation of premarital agreements or contested guardianships. Our hourly billing fee is determined by multiplying the hourly billing rate of the professional providing the service and the time he or she spends on the matter. Different hourly billing rates are charged for partners, associate attorneys, and paralegals. At the beginning of our work we will provide you with our hourly billing rates and an estimate of the total fee. When hourly billing is used, we will charge a retainer fee (frequently one half of the estimated total fee) at the time we begin the case. We will then bill against the retainer fee. When the retainer fee is reduced to zero, we will ask that you deposit a new retainer. If it becomes apparent that our fee may exceed our estimate, we will discuss this fact with you and obtain instructions as to how you wish to proceed.