"Emily is an incredible resource of knowledge on employment law. She helped guide us on how to structure our employee classifications and made adjustments to our consulting agreements so our business is better protected and positioned. She's both law-savvy and business minded - great asset to have when launching/growing a business."
Diana Bagas, Launch Web Marketing "sln represented me in a complicated employment-related dispute. What could have been a prolonged nightmare for me was handled swiftly and skillfully, and with fairness and dignity....They are seasoned, super responsive and always follow through. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for legal advice." Smita N. "Previously, I spoke with a couple other lawyers and I did not feel comfortable with their approach prior to calling Emily. Jenna did an excellent job in assessing what I wanted to accomplish and completed my will, trust and other documents in a very short time. I am so happy I made the right choice in choosing slnlaw as my estate team." Evelyn W. |
FEES AND BILLING INFORMATIONThank You For Your Business!
We appreciate the opportunity to serve you, and hope this page provides helpful information about our billing and payment practices and available fee and payment arrangements. If you have any questions about your bill, your fee agreement, or your case, please feel free to give us a call at (413) 667-2322, or shoot us a note at [email protected].
Hourly Billing, Flat Fees, and Invoicing
The standard practice for law firms is to bill time by the hour or portion of an hour and invoice periodically. For clients on an hourly billing agreement, we send out invoices each month for services provided in the prior month. These are sent out electronically, to the primary email we have on file. If you have provided a retainer, the invoice will reflect a credit in the amount drawn from the retainer and the outstanding balance (if any) after application of those funds. For clients on alternative fee arrangements, such as a flat fee agreement, we will send an invoice as soon as the fee agreement is signed. These are also sent electronically to the primary email address we have on file.
Contingent Fee Cases
There are some cases we are able to take on a contingency fee basis- for example, if you are bringing a complaint against an employer or former employer for unpaid wages, discrimination or retaliation, or sexual harassment. In most cases, this involves a flat fee at the outset to review and assess your case, with the remainder of the fees as a percentage of whatever you recover in settlement or judgment, known as contingency fee arrangements because our recovery of fees is contingent on your recovery. This means upon settlement or judgment, we would be entitled to an agreed percentage of that settlement or judgment, less any amounts you have already paid as a flat fee. If we take your case on this basis, and you do not recover anything, you would not owe us anything other than the original flat fee and any out of pocket expenses that we need to incur in pursuing your claims. Most commonly these include filing fees with the court and fees paid to court reporters for depositions. If your case requires the help of an expert witness, we will discuss with you the cost-benefit analysis of hiring an expert before incurring those fees.
Payment Plans
We understand that many of the services we provide were not something people planned or budgeted for, and believe that should not stop you from getting the legal help you need. We are always willing to work out a payment plan that works for you. If we enter a payment plan agreement, your account will be in good standing as long as you make the agreed payments, regardless of the balance. For your convenience, we can set you up on a recurring charge to your debit or credit card or paypal account, but you are also welcome to make those payments by mailing a check or dropping a payment off at our office.
|
