PREPARE AN AUDIT:
How Do I Document Questionable Attorney Fees?
Preparing an audit of questionable charges on your legal invoice can help you document your concerns. By itemizing each questionable entry in a methodical manner, you can identify the charge, explain why you question it, and ask the attorney for clarification. For example, you might ask why a paralegal billed $150 to copy a file. Chapters 4 and 5 of Attorney Fee Hu$tle discuss billing practices that may improperly increase legal fees. A detailed spreadsheet can help organize your questions and support a request for clarification or correction.
Browse the questions and answers below for information about documenting questionable charges and preparing a fee audit.
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Please note that we cannot provide legal advice or determine whether a particular charge is legally unreasonable.
QUESTION: How do I prepare an audit of my attorney’s invoice?
ANSWER: Start with a copy of your attorney’s invoice and review it line by line.
Identify each charge you want to question and record it separately on a spreadsheet or other organized format.
For each questioned charge, include the date, description of the work, person who performed it, time billed, hourly rate, and amount charged. Then add a brief explanation of why you are questioning the charge. For example, you might note that the description is vague, the same task appears to have been billed more than once, or the time charged seems excessive for the work described.
When possible, compare the entry with supporting information such as your fee agreement, emails, correspondence, court filings, telephone records, or other documents that may help establish what occurred.
The goal is to create a clear, factual record of the charges you question and why you are questioning them. This makes it easier to request an explanation or correction from your attorney and provides an organized record if the fee dispute continues.