Fee for Plea was way beyond original

[waata99]

What is the name of your state?Michigan

My brother pled to Assault w/intent to murder. When we hired his attorney he told us $10,000 for a plea and another $15,000 if it goes to trial. Well it took the prosecutor three months to come out with the plea offer, but 2 days previous to that we had just paid the lawyer more money for, what he said, was the inevitability of a trial.
In the end we paid $37,500 for a plea! At the highest charge!
My question is should we open an investigation w/Mich. Bar?
Thanks,
waata

 

[justalayman]

You never state what the attorney said when you asked him for a partial refund.

 

[Kane]

80% of the work you do for a jury trial is in preparing for it.

20% is actually conducting it.

Talk to the lawyer, and look at the contract if there is one - and there should be.

 

[weenor]

Ask him for an accounting. The rules of ethics require that after taking a retainer the lawyer must provide bills reflecting how the retainer was used.

 

[waata99]

As far as his response...

The lawyer had no response to my question on the original quote ($10,000) for a plea.
He did say that if he charged for all the hours he had in on most cases, most people wouldn't be able to afford to pay him.
I realize about the prep-time for a trial...I just found it suspect that the plea came out 2 days after we dumped the additional $27,500 in his hand.
He (the lawyer) was 4 days from appearing at a motion to remove himself from the case for lack of additional payment. The delay in payment came from the fact that my brother felt he could do just as well with a court-appointed, and he felt that, according to fellow inmates, there would eventually be an offer made by the state.
Thanks,
waata

 

[justalayman]

So no more excuses, follow weenor's advice and get an itemized bill.