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Atty block billing: 2-yr litigation resulted in settlemt. Now trying to go over attys' bills before final disbursment of funds due firm from client trust acct.

1st 3 bills recv'd in case, work was minimal & line-item billing allowed us opportunity to ck accuracy of amt for services being billed. In those bills, we found firm's partner billed 2.5 hrs for calls w/us which lasted 10-15 minutes apiece. (=difference of $600+ each). Partner agreed "no way those calls lasted 2.5 hrs & we'll adjust the bills."

As case progressed, block billing started, making it impossible to ck accuracy of chrgs. Asked partner & acctg dept to plz not block bill, but billing never changed.

Last discussion w/partner re accuracy of fees, he got very upset & said if we don't appreciate his work, he'll recommend another law firm to us. So much @stake, we got scared, stopped Q'g fees. Decided to wait till end of case.

Now asking them to go back over just the last 6 mos & breakdown fees, but atty refuses.

Would like to know (#1) what our response should be, (#2) what our rights are under California state law or Bar rules, and (#3) if there's any case law on the issue of block billing & rights of clients.

Edited by IsThisLegalMal on April 17 2008 at 4:26 PM

Optional Information:
California

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Status: Closed Value: $30

In California we have a great Attorney Client Fee dispute program (I know since I sit on the panel) through the State of California Bar Association. Just contact them and file a complaint with them and they will contact the firm on your behalf and get to the bottom of the fee issues.

Good luck. If you have any other related questions please let me know. If you found this answer helpful please accept so I can continue to help others like you in the future. Thank you.

Reply to Bill F.'s Post: Thank you. You answered so quickly. After posting my question, I immediately went back to edit it so that I could add the exact info I thought might be most helpful at this point. (The add'l space provided for the question did not allow me further room to include these questions.)

If you could embellish on how to address the questions asked at the end, and/or suggest how best to respond to our attorneys at this point, that would be sincerely appreciated.

Send a certified letter telling your attorney that his failure to supply a detailed and comprehensive explanation of the bills he has submitted is in violation of California Business and Profession Code Sections 6200-6206 and that if he does not provide the requested information within 30 days you will be forced to file a client attorney fee dispute with the California Bar.

To do that go to: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10428&id=1325

Take care. If you found these answers helpful please accept so I can continue to help others like you in the future. Thank you.

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