Legal fees are mysterious. Maybe, because we are not selling a product, the cost of legal services doesn’t translate well for the client? One way to look at it is that the lawyer’s fee is a product of background and responsibility.

Your lawyer has an extensive and demanding education that requires a high degree of intelligence to learn and apply the law to practical human problems.

All lawyers apply this knowledge and have a very high standards of conduct that require strict client confidentiality and unwavering loyalty, as well as competence to perform the services necessary for your project. This level of responsibility is well above that in most business and professional occupations.

I have been practicing law since 1980. Most of my career has focused on the areas of law that I still practice today, which I refresh regularly with ongoing continuing education on topic.

Therefore, I have an abundance of knowledge, experience, well-tested common sense, all of which greatly enhances my ability to provide quality legal services.

My hourly rate reflects the fact that I do not have an expensive setting and no staff overhead to accomplish what I do. Please keep this in mind when we discuss the cost of services.

Expenses: Often there are out of pocket costs necessary to pay in the course of our work. Typically, these are court filing fees, fees for publication if your matter involves a probate, recording fees, and charges that incur directly while doing your project, such as tax return service fees.

It is my responsibility to review the likely costs for your project ahead of incurring them, and I will do my best to anticipate these items for you.

There are administrative costs in each client matter which I assume as part of my fee for services: things such as the cost of making copies, postage and mailing, etc.

Travel: If your project requires that I travel away from the Santa Barbara community, we will discuss these costs as well. If I am going to be on the road for 2 hours to drive to Los Angeles and another 2 to drive back, that is 4 hours that I am not earning compensation for legal services. This time should not be charged at the same rate as though I was sitting in my office working on your project. All that said, few client matters involve charges for travel.

Engagement: Finally, the California State Bar rules require that many of our arrangements for services must be in writing. If yours is such a matter, we will discuss and review an engagement agreement that specifies the terms of our relationship for the project in greater detail, including the terms of what I will charge you for the services.