What Happens When You Hire An Attorney?

 

How long has your firm been around?

James D. Sherrets founded the firm now known as Sherrets Bruno & Vogt, LLC, in the 1980s.

 

Do you charge for an initial consultation?

No. If we meet with you after an initial telephone review of your potential case, we do not charge for the initial meeting.

 

If I talk to you but do not actually hire you as my attorney, is what I tell you still confidential?

Yes. Anything that you say to us about your case is privileged and confidential, whether you retain us or not.

 

Will you take my case on a contingency, so I don’t have to pay anything unless we win?

We evaluate each case before we propose terms of an engagement. We accept a few cases on a pure contingency, although you will still be responsible for the payment of expenses incurred in your case.

 

How do you charge for cases that you don’t take on a contingency?

Most cases are billed by the hour for attorney time plus expenses incurred, although there may be other options. We will discuss fee options with you at our initial meeting.

 

Do you require a retainer or payment upfront?

We generally do require a retainer, which will be held in the firm’s trust account and used to pay expenses and our fees as we perform work.

 

How much is a retainer?

It depends. Cases that will require a lot of work in a very short time at the beginning of the case may require a substantial retainer, while a smaller retainer may be appropriate in other cases.

 

What are expenses?

Expenses are costs that must be paid during the course of your case. Expenses include filing fees to the court, the cost of obtaining depositions, and miscellaneous items like postage, copying and scanning documents. Certain cases require expert testimony, and fees charged by the expert are expenses.

 

Can you tell me what your fees will be before I retain you?

In most cases, no. It is not possible to anticipate how many hours will be necessary in any particular case. There are some representations for which we charge a flat fee, but in most cases we do not. A flat fee may also be possible if the engagement is to prepare an agreement or contract rather than engage in litigation.

 

What kind of cases need experts?

Any case involving issues that are not common knowledge. For example, in a legal malpractice case, the plaintiff will need to hire an attorney expert to testify that what the attorney did or did not do was below the standard of care. The act or failure to act caused the damages that the suit is brought to recover.

 

Do you accept payment via credit card?

Yes. There is a link on our website that will take you to a web page through which you can pay with a credit card. You may also pay by check or authorize an ACH transfer from your bank.