Estimated Fees

Initial Retainer Fees

Family – Related: 75% of our family related clients do not spend more than $5000 in attorney’s fees. We initially estimate that all family related cases will cost $3000-$5000.

Criminal Defense: see our criminal page for flat fee for each level of crime. All fees include everything through trial – communication, trial strategy, etc. see more information here: https://lionlegal.com/criminal-defense/

Wills/Trusts/Estate/Medicaid Planning: We initially estimate that all estate planning matters will range from $2000-$3500. Trusts start at $3500. see more information here: https://lionlegal.com/estate-planning/

Civil/business/real estate litigation: initial retainer of $5000.

Civil/business/real estate transactions: initial retainer of $3000.

Administrative Agency Matters: initial retainer of $3000.

Probate: if a small estate, initial retainer is $2000. If the estate is more than $100,000, then our initial retainer fees start at $3000. If contesting a probate, initial retainer starts at $5000.

Additional Retainer Fees

Lion Legal is a full-service law firm, experienced in handling contested court matters. Most cases resolve early, so we only charge for services as they are needed. We will estimate/predict additional time and attorney’s fees at each stage of the case see our Billing Philosophy page for more information.

Other Considerations:

Travel: We charge for travel time that exceeds one hour round trip, at our normal hourly rates. In other words the first hour of case-related travel is not charged to the client at all. Travel time is calculated from our NLR offices. Travel fees do not apply to criminal defense matters.

Emergency Contact: Client-initiated emergency contact of any means outside normal business hours will be charged double our hourly rates. Client-initiated emergency contact during our normal business hours, for the purpose of circumventing our 2 day response time policy, when the matter is not in fact an emergency, is billed at double our hourly rates.

Minimum Monthly Fee: We charge a minimum monthly fee of $500.00 for cases open in our office. This fee is assessed to compensate the firm for keeping the file open, even though no billable work or billable work less than $500.00 is occurring in your matter that month. LL has strict case limits and keeping your case open in our office prevents us from taking another case; we always must be ready to resolve or address any issues in any open matter in our office from emergency hearings to custody issues and our minimum earned fee is $500 monthly for our liability and attention to your open matter in our office. This fee does not apply to criminal defense matters.

Payment Options

We require half of the initial estimated retainer to open your file, or half of the flat fee if criminal defense. The other half of the initial retainer fee must be paid within 60 days of hiring us — and we offer weekly, bi-weekly or monthly payment plans for the second half of the retainer.

All fees are due prior to services being rendered and, if your needed legal services are extending past your retainer, you are required to supplement your retainer based on our estimate at the time.

In hotly contested cases or highly convoluted and involved cases, we require clients to maintain a balance at all times in their trust accounts. This is called an evergreen retainer.

Payment Methods

We are committed to offering flexible and convenient payment options to fit your needs. We accept several forms of payment including credit cards, debit cards, eChecks, and cash to provide you with as many choices as possible.

• Credit and Debit Cards: We accept all major credit and debit cards for quick and efficient transactions. This can provide a convenient and speedy way to pay for our legal services.
• eChecks: Electronic checks offer a secure and easy method of payment. They provide the same function as traditional paper checks but in a faster, electronic format.
• Cash: We understand that sometimes, cash is the most convenient form of payment, and we’re happy to accept it.
• Checks: For those who prefer traditional methods, we also accept personal and business checks. However, please be aware that if your legal matter requires immediate or urgent attention, we might not be able to accept checks as they can take several days to clear.

Additional Terms

• We never charge late fees or early-payment penalties.
• There is an additional 3% charge for all credit card and e-check payments.
• All credit/debit payments must be on auto-draft.
• Contact our Front Office for information on financing

Questions About Your Bill?

If you have questions about your bill, need to set up automatic payments, want to modify your current payment plan, or are not sure what link to use, contact the Billing Department at the same email address—[email protected].