How legal fees usually work

Three common shapes

An hourly fee bills time. Ask whose time is billed, and at what rate, including people who are not the lawyer you met.

A flat fee is a set amount for a defined task, such as an uncontested divorce or a simple will. Ask what is outside the flat fee. Court filing charges are often extra.

A contingency fee is a share of a recovery, most often in injury cases. If there is no recovery, the fee portion is usually not owed, but costs such as records and experts may still be discussed in the agreement. Read that sentence twice.

Get it in writing

New York engagement rules require a written letter in many matters. The letter should say the scope, the fee, and who is responsible for costs. If a website says “free consultation,” ask whether the free part ends when the meeting ends.

Do not wire a retainer to a personal account because a text message told you to. Use the office, the engagement letter, and a method you can trace.

A fee is not a result

A higher fee does not mean a better outcome, and a lower fee does not mean a simple case. Compare the scope you were offered. If two lawyers describe different work, you are not comparing the same thing.