Understanding Your Invoice
We bill twice monthly, for work done the preceding two weeks. Be sure to keep up with your payments; legal fees can accumulate quickly. Charges from before the current invoice period may appear on your bill, especially those from a third party (ABC Legal Process Service, etc). We can only invoice as the charges reach us.
Read the descriptions carefully. This is the work your attorney does on our behalf. Your invoice is one of your tools for staying informed about your case. You should go over your invoice carefully as soon as it arrives via email. Call the office if you have questions or want clarifications.
The “Dodds Law Firm Trust Account” section shows the amount of money held in trust in your name. Invoices will be paid first from this trust when funds are available. When you sign your legal services agreement, you agree to keep your trust at a pre-arranged amount, the “replenishment” amount. Please be sure you are aware of the required amount and replenish your trust account when it falls below the 50% threshold.
You can always figure out the amount needed to replenish your trust account to the contracted amount in the legal services agreement you signed by doing the following:
a. Find your “Dodds Law Firm Trust Account Balance” on your invoice.
b. Subtract that amount from your original retainer amount. For
example: If your original trust amount was $6,000 and your trust
balance is currently $2,000, you will subtract $2000 from $6,000. This
leaves $4,000 as the amount you would need to replenish in full.
Be sure to keep your trust account current. If you fall below the 50%
threshold and do not replenish your trust account in a timely manner, your
attorney could be directed to withdraw from your case.
“Total amount outstanding” shows your balance due for that specific billing invoice. This amount has not been deducted from your Trust account yet. This amount does NOT include the amount needed to replenish your trust account back to the required level. If you have an outstanding balance showing, it is because your trust account has been depleted, and you should factor both amounts when sending or calling in your payment.
Feel free to call with questions or comments regarding your billing. Our staff knows that legal fees and invoices can be complex, and are happy to assist you with our questions. It’s better for all involved if you understand your bills, charges, and the explanations of what your attorney is doing on your behalf.