Fees
FDCPA and Wrongful Repossession claims
I handle all FDCPA and wrongful repossession cases on a contingency fee arrangement. This means that you don’t have to pay me anything up front–my fees come from the money I recover for you if you win your case or accept a negotiated settlement. And if your case is unsuccessful, you don’t pay me any legal fees. A contingency fee allows you to stand up for your rights without having to worry about where you’re going to get the money to pay a lawyer.
I offer a free case evaluation for all potential FDCPA and wrongful repossession cases. During this initial meeting, I’ll listen while you tell me what happened, review any documents you have, and explain your legal options. And if I advise you that a lawsuit is appropriate, we’ll talk about whether that’s the right move for you.
Collection lawsuit defense (when you’ve been sued)
Most lawyers use an old-fashioned hourly billing model, which has a couple of major drawbacks for clients. First, you don’t know what total cost will be at the beginning of the representation. These lawyers will happily tell you how much they charge per hour, but almost never will give you the total cost of the job up front. So hiring a lawyer that bills by the hour is kind of like agreeing to buy a car before knowing the final price.
The second major drawback to the hourly billing model is that it rewards lawyers for the longer they can drag out your case, even though you just want it resolved as quickly as possible. And when you hire a lawyer that bills by the hour, you have to worry about them charging you for everything–even quick calls and emails.
I’ve tried to fix these drawbacks by handling most of my debt collection defense cases on a flat fee model. I will quote you a flat, fixed price for my services when you hire me so you will know the exact cost up front. And using a flat fee creates an incentive for me to solve your legal problem as quickly as possible because I have committed to a price from the beginning. Also, you don’t have to worry about the meter always running when you talk to me.
Here are my flat fees for the main types of cases I handle:
Defending a debt collection lawsuit (does not include trial): $1,500 – $4,000
Motion to vacate a default judgment: $1,000 – $2,000
These amounts don’t include court costs, which are usually between $350 and $500.
And for those of you that can’t afford the cost of full representation, I offer limited-scope representation or unbundled legal services. This allows you to get the benefit of some legal representation at a price you can afford.
Here are the types of unbundled services I offer, along with their prices:
30 minute consultation: $150
Answer: $500
Discovery Requests: $500
Discovery Responses: $750
Summary judgment brief: $750 – $1,000
