how to request money back from lawyer

The best way to get a refund is to ask your lawyer directly—you can either send a letter or call them at the office. See if you can set up a meeting to discuss the termination of your agreement and your refund payment. Make sure they give you back all the case files and court documents but keep in mind that they might charge you for them.

Full Answer

How do I get my money back from an attorney?

If your lawyer fails to return these funds within 30 days, you may take several steps to ensure that you aren't cheated. First, you should send another letter that reiterates your decision to take your lawyer off the case and demands prompt repayment of your retainer. In this letter, spell out the consequences of inaction.

Can I get a refund for my Lawyer’s services?

How to Demand a Refund From an Attorney The Lawyer-Client Agreement Controls. It is important to read and understand the fee agreement that you sign with your... Contingency Agreements. If you and your attorney signed a contingency agreement, he …

What happens if my lawyer does not pay me back?

How To Get a Retainer Refund With Your Robot Lawyer. Log in to your DoNotPay account. Click on the Chargeback Instantly option. Give your bank details and the name of the lawyer to the chatbot. Follow the chatbot’s instructions. Verify your request.

Can I fire my lawyer and get my money back?

 · How can I get money if a lawyer stole from me? Call the State Bar of Arizona to explain your case and ask if you may be eligible to apply to the Client Protection Fund. Call 602 …

What to do if you disagree with your attorney?

Bar Association Assistance. If you and your former attorney disagree on the amount of refund you are due, you can usually get help. State and local agencies that regulate attorney conduct in each state, called bar associations, often offer fee arbitration services.

What is the lawyer client agreement?

The Lawyer-Client Agreement Controls. It is important to read and understand the fee agreement that you sign with your attorney before he begins working on your behalf. You'll also need to read it when you are ending the relationship. It holds the key to determining whether your lawyer owes you money.

Can a client fire an attorney?

Just like some marriages end in divorce, some attorney/client relationships flounder. Since a client always has the right to fire her lawyer, ending the relationship is easy; figuring out the finances can be more difficult. Whether you are entitled to a refund, and size of that refund, depends on the type of fee agreement you signed with the attorney.

What to do if your lawyer refuses to refund you?

If your lawyer decides to ignore you and declines your refund request, you can turn to DoNotPay for help. We can get you a refund from anyone, even companies that don’t give refunds. You have a 98% chance of successfully getting a refund with us by your side. Open our app in any web browser and do the following:

What to do if your lawyer denies your refund request?

If they deny your refund request, you can file a complaint with the Bar Council that your lawyer is a member of.

Does DoNotPay send a letter to your lawyer?

DoNotPay will build your case and generate a dispute letter. We’ll send the dispute letter to your bank along with your VISA and MasterCard reason codes that are crucial for strengthening your case. If you choose so, DoNotPay will send the dispute letter of refund payment to your lawyer as well. It is advisable that you keep all these documents in case you need to sue your lawyer in small claims court.

Can a lawyer terminate a relationship with you?

There are ethical rules that don’t allow lawyers to terminate their relationship with you if they don’t have a strong cause. The best way to get a refund is to ask your lawyer directly—you can either send a letter or call them at the office.

Is a retainer refundable?

When signing a retainer agreement, you have to read it thoroughly because it might state that your retainer is non-refundable if you end the relationship early. The majority of agreements will define what will happen with the unearned fees.

Is a lawyer's fee refundable?

These fees are refundable if there’s any remaining balance after the lawyer withdraws their fee.

Can you get a refund for a retainer fee?

The retainer fee doesn’t guarantee a successful outcome. If you are displeased with your provider’s services, you can request a refund for the retainer fee in no time at all with DoNotPay.

How to get money if a lawyer stole from me?

How can I get money if a lawyer stole from me? Call the State Bar of Arizona to explain your case and ask if you may be eligible to apply to the Client Protection Fund. Call 602-340-7280 within Maricopa County or 800-319-0514, extension 7280, everywhere else. Fill out an application on the State Bar of Arizona website.

How much money did Ray Bedell borrow from a lawyer?

Here's a little-known way to get money back from a bad lawyer. Ray Bedell, a retired Phoenix electrician, had borrowed and scraped together more than $5,000 to hire an attorney in a family court case so he could spend more time with his daughter. The lawyer seemed smart, aggressive and talented in the courtroom, Bedell remembered.

How long does a lawyer have to be suspended in Arizona?

The lawyer must have been licensed or authorized to practice law in Arizona. The lawyer must have been disciplined with a suspension for longer than six months, interim suspension, disbarment or a felony conviction related to the claim.

What are the businesses that are controlled by lawyers?

Most businesses, such as corporations, bonding agencies, medical providers, companies controlled by the lawyer or other third parties with claims against the lawyer.

Who has a fiduciary relationship with a lawyer?

Individuals who have hired the lawyer or have a fiduciary relationship with the lawyer, such as guardianship. Small businesses that have hired the lawyer or have a fiduciary relationship with the lawyer, such as guardianship.

Where to fill out an application for the state bar of Arizona?

Fill out an application on the State Bar of Arizona website. Forms are available in English and in Spanish.

How long did the board of attorneys vote on the Bedell case?

The board didn't vote on Bedell's case for six months because of a case backlog, he said.

John S. Fason

Yes, you can get your money back. I agree with the two previous answers by other lawyers. In addition, you can file a grievance with the state bar. You can also file in small claims court. Not only was the lawyer obligated to provide the services as agreed, there is also an obligation to return phone calls...

Stewart Andrew Sutton

Whenever a lawyer fails to perform the legal services that you paid him to render, you are entitled to full refund of your retainer. Your lawyer breached his contractual obigation to diigently and competently render legal services.

Cynthia Russell Henley

Send the lawyer a certified letter outlining the agreement, the efforts to contact the office (noting no return contact), the promise to file within 2 weeks, and that based on the failure to do the work as promised and the ethical violation of no communication, you no longer want the lawyer to work on the case and you expect a full refund (or you will seek the assistance of the State Bar of Texas.) Give the....

3 attorney answers

The language of the retainer agreement would control how much of a refund you would receive. The attorney would need to itemize his or her time and you would usually be entitled to a refund of the remaining portion of the retainer.

Scott R. Scherr

The implication of your inquiry is that the lawyer has been sitting on your case for 4 1/2 months with no reasonable explanation for the lawyer's inactivity. I am assuming that is so for purposes of providing an answer. If you have a right to demand a refund, you may have to ask for it.

Robert L. Flanagan

If it is clearly a retainer fee, all unused portions of the retainer fee, at the end of the engagement, should be returned to the client. Talk to the attorney and ask them why the delay (if any) for the case. The attorney has an obligation to communicate with you if you reach out to that attorney.

What is retainer fee and why you need to write a letter to get refund

Retainer fee is the fee you paid for your attorney who is typically a lawyer. What if you have paid fee to your lawyer who did not serve the purpose ? You may want to get a refund from your attorney. In this case, you must write a letter .

Sample Letter format to request retainer fee refund

I, _________ (Your name here), became a client for you on _________ [Write the date of meeting / agreement here). I have paid retainer fee. Still now no action is taken from your end to resolve my issue, __________ (Write the exact issue here). Now I want to close this client agreement and don't require your service in this matter.

What to do if an attorney does not earn a fee?

If the attorney did not earn the fee, you should be able to get it back by asking. Maybe a personal visit to the office would help. Otherwise, you could file a grievance with the attorney grievance commission.

What to do if a Texas attorney does not respond to your complaint?

Contact the Texas State Bar. File a complaint if he does not respond to you after you demand your file and return of your money.

How long does it take to get a retainer back?

Write him a letter giving him 5 days to return your retainer since he didn't do any work. If he claims he did some work demand an intemized billing. Tell him in the letter that unless you get your retainer in five days you will contact the State Bar.

How to fire an attorney?

You can fire your attorney by simply saying "your services are no longer required." Then request that any amount of retainer left unused be returned to you.

Is there a fee arbitration procedure?

Possibly. There is a fee arbitration procedure. Try searching for it online. Maybe "NY attorney fee dispute arbitration" would get you there.

Can you get a refund for an hourly retainer in NH?

It really depends on fee agreement. If hourly retainer and fee was exhausted then no. If a balance remains it should be refunded. If a flat rate and the work was not completed then a refund less a reasonable amount for work performed should be returned. NH Bar association has a fee dispute resolution process. You should try attorney again and if no response contact bar association.

Can you contact the state bar?

You can but you're better off contacting the state bar.

How to get a refund from a retail store?

If a retail store offers refunds, you can contact them over the phone or visit them in person. Most online services have a built-in form to request a refund. Forms are usually short and require you to fill in a few details—like your name, phone number, email, and the reason you want to ask for a refund.

How long do you have to return a product to a store?

Many stores have 30- to 60-day limits on returns and exchanges.

How long does it take for a BAK to work?

If you paid with your credit card, you can always contact your bak and initiate a dispute of the transaction. It should work within 60 days of the purchase. The bank will file a dispute directly with the merchant. The details depend on your bank, so make sure to get in touch with them directly.

How long does it take to get a refund from Epic Games?

Origin will allow you to return the game only within 24 hours from the first time you played it, while Epic Games lets you return the game and get a full refund within 14 days of purchase. The Easy Way to Get a Refund! Use DoNotPay to Get Your Money Back From Any Company!

Can a store give you a refund?

A Step-By-Step Guide to Requesting a Refund From Stores and Online Companies. Stores are not required by federal law to offer you a refund for any product, unless that product is defective. Merchants are also allowed to create their own refund policies, handling the issues of returns and refunds as they wish.

Do merchants have to inform customers about refunds?

In most cases, merchants have to inform the customers either about their refund policy or the fact that they don't offer refunds.