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Billing Policies |
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Hourly
Rates |
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Our hourly rates are set on a competitive basis with area law firms. We adjust hourly rates to suit the matter for which we are retained.
Hourly rate fee arrangements are applied to litigation (e.g., civil, criminal, probate and family law matters), general representation, transactional matters and documents preparation.
We provide detailed descriptions of our billing policies and arrangements. We most often administer these arrangements on the basis of a pre-paid retainer against which the hourly rates and expenses are applied. For each matter, a fee engagement letter
is presented to our clients for review, providing specifics on our billing policies.
We bill monthly on all hourly rate matters. Each invoice details the date, a description of the undertaking, the hourly rates applied, an identification of the lawyer or paralegal staff member who
provided the services, the time spent for the undertaking, and the monetary value based upon the
applied hourly rate.
We welcome questions regarding any bill received for a billing period.
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Contingent
Fee Matters |
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Certain matters for which we are retained lend themselves to a fee arrangement known as a “contingent fee.” The N.H. Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit contingent fee arrangements
for certain types of cases (e.g., divorce and criminal matters). They are traditionally
applied to tort claims (e.g., personal injury, defamation, negligence actions, wrongful employment termination, debt recovery, and certain contract claims), and to other matters which may provide a source of recovery (e.g., an insurance carrier who is contracted to pay damages agreed to by settlement or ordered by verdict after trial).
In contingent fee matters, our clients pay to the Firm a fee of one-third of the sum of recovery following settlement or verdict (subject to adjustment in the event of an appeal from a verdict). Clients are responsible for payment of litigation expense incurred out-of-pocket by the Firm in pursuit of the claim or action. Litigation expense commonly includes miscellaneous costs we incur, court filing fees, expert witness fees, depositions costs, fees for investigators employed, fees for outside consultation by professionals, costs in preparation of trial exhibits and demonstrative evidence, models and computer graphics, and other out-of-pocket
expense directly incurred.
Our contingent fee engagement letter provides detail of this
method of billing, and our clients are fully engaged, consulted and explained the application of this approach.
Contingent fee arrangements are unique in that our Firm is paid no fee unless a recovery is realized on our client’s behalf. As such, the significant cost otherwise carried by a client through an hourly rate arrangement is avoided.
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Employment Inquiries |
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For employment opportunities with our Firm and for general inquiries, please contact:
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Ms.
Patricia E. Couture
(603) 668-8300, Ext. 46
PCouture@bclilaw.com
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