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Mitchell & Batchelder, LLP generally charges on an hourly basis. We bill for all the time we spend working on your case. We believe hourly billing is fair both to the attorneys and to our clients. At this time, the hourly fee for Kenneth Mitchell is $365, and the hourly fee for Philip Batchelder is $315. Our fee for paralegal services is $150 per hour. Paralegals often draft standard documents under the direction of the attorneys, which reduces the cost to clients.
In California, attorneys are required to have a written fee agreement with all clients. As estate planning attorneys, we often represent couples or families. Sometimes the interests of family members may diverge. In case of a conflict between clients which cannot be resolved, we would withdraw from representing both or all parties, and the individuals would be required to retain separate counsel.
After our first meeting, we can often estimate a likely range of charges for your legal matter. We usually require a retainer paid at the first meeting, to cover the cost of the initial work. For clients who have pending litigation with certain personal injury firms, instead of a retainer we accept a lien on the proceeds of litigation for the total amount of our fees and costs.
For some matters, we are able to charge a flat fee which we know from prior experience is reasonable. For other matters, such as probate administration, standard fees are set by California law as a percentage of the fair market value of the estate.
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