fees | hourly billing | fixed fees | retainers | computer fees | telephone conferences

You can depend on the good people at Nelson & Carver, P.S. to provide integrity and experience to any legal challenge...

Our attorneys and staff are highly skilled to assist you with legal advice and to represent you in court on a variety of legal matters such as:

Real Estate Practice Business Practice Estate Planning & Probate

Tax Law Construction Law Litigation

Fees

Our office uses the team approach to complete most client matters. We understand that fees for attorney services are expensive and we extend every effort to organize the work so that each aspect is handled by the least expensive professional who has the appropriate level of training and experience. Usually a portion of the work is assigned to a legal assistant and an executive assistant to expedite the completion of the matter and to hold costs to a minimum. While only the attorney may give legal advice or represent a client in court, legal assistants perform work that requires a high degree of training and experience. When a non-lawyer performs services, the work is always under the personal supervision and review of an attorney.

Hourly Billing

Legal services are billed in 1/10 hour increments. The following are the rates for each individual attorney:

	Mr. Nelson: $235 per hour.
	Mr. Arthur: $200 per hour for general representation and tax
	planning matters and $125 per hour for tax return preparation.
	Ms Carver: $200 per hour
	Senior Legal Assistants: $85 per hour
	Legal Assistants: $70 per hour
	Dictation: $40 per hour

Fixed Fees

Certain legal services are offered at fixed fees based upon a written schedule. You will know in advance whether your matter is on a fixed fee or hourly basis. Services for tax return preparation do not require a retainer--the fee is payable upon delivery of the return. Escrow fees are based upon the sale price of the property or the amount refinanced based upon our written schedule.

Retainers

If we are to work on your matter beyond the initial interview, we customarily require a minimum retainer deposit of $750 at the first appointment. If your matter is concluded at a cost less than the initial retainer, the unused portion is promptly refunded. If litigation is to be commenced or defended, the required retainer deposit will typically be $5,000. Unfortunately, litigation is extremely expensive and in most cases the expenses will be significantly more than the initial retainer.

Computer Fees

We have the ability to research the law online via Westlaw and other sources, accessing data from not only all Washington cases and statutes but every other State and the federal level as well. We also have advanced computer software for tax return preparation and in-depth tax research preparation and analysis. Because there is a cost to our office for these computer services, we charge for connection to these data bases and the fee will be billed on your account as an expense. We are confident that the time saved compared to traditional methods and the improved quality of service make these computer programs an excellent value for you.

Telephone Conferences

Telephone conferences with clients, other attorneys, and third parties about your case are included as billable time on your statement.

Payment Arrangements

Your statement for services is payable upon receipt. We welcome payment by VISA and MasterCard. Fees are subject to change. A 1.5% per month service charge is added to accounts that are due over 30 days. Unless arrangements are made, accounts over 60 days past due may be turned over for collection, with costs of collection and attorney fees borne by the client.

You will find out-of-pocket expenses on your behalf billed separately, in detail, on the statement. These would include such items as filing fees, recording fees, and long distance telephone charges.