A Range Of Billing Options

At Swain LLC, I offer a range of fee options, depending on your specific needs. Every case begins with a free consultation to determine whether I am the right attorney to handle your project and, if so, the fee arrangements available to you.

Hourly Fees

The most common fee structure I offer is an hourly fee for my time. An hourly fee structure is most appropriate when it is difficult to predict the time and scope of a project from start to finish. Hourly fees are often the most appropriate fee structure for defendants and respondents in litigation or enforcement actions.

 

Contingency Fees

Under certain circumstances, I offer a contingency fee arrangement to clients who retain me to sue—meaning you are the plaintiff or petitioner—another party seeking money damages. Under a contingency fee arrangement, rather than paying an hourly rate for my time during the representation, we would agree in advance that I would be entitled to a percentage of your recovery if your case is successful.

It is important that you fully understand what you are committing to before you enter into a contingency fee arrangement. Although you do not pay your attorney an hourly fee in a contingency fee arrangement, you are still responsible for costs such as court filing fees, subpoena service costs, and stenographer’s fees. Also, depending on the time and effort required to prosecute your case, your attorney may recover more than they otherwise would have made under an hourly fee arrangement. But in such an arrangement, your attorney is also taking on the risk that they will recover nothing if your case is unsuccessful.

I only offer a contingency fee arrangement if: (i) you seek to recover money damages from the party you wish to sue; and (ii) I believe, after analyzing the strength of your case, that there is a strong chance you will prevail and recover money damages.

 

Hybrid Fees

A hybrid fee is a mix of the hourly and contingency fee structures. In a hybrid fee arrangement, you agree to pay a reduced hourly rate—for example, a rate equal to one-half of my standard hourly rate—as well as a reduced contingency fee.

As with a standard contingency fee arrangement, I only offer a hybrid fee arrangement to clients who: (i) seek to recover money damages; and (ii) have a strong case that I believe is likely to be successful.

 

Flat Fees

Certain projects are available for a flat fee, which is a one-time, predetermined fee for the entirety of a project. You benefit by knowing exactly how much the project will cost in advance, without any surprises. A flat fee may be appropriate for projects that tend to be more predictable in time and scope. If I can roughly estimate the time involved in advance, I can remove the guesswork and uncertainty surrounding the cost of the representation by offering you the option of paying a one-time fee. In such cases, even if I have to spend more time than anticipated to complete your project, the price you pay does not change.