what's the going rate for attorneys?
360651
he is robbing you blind!
90146
The fee is not always 33%. We are dealing with work comp right now and privatly consulted with an attorney and it is only 20% for work comp cases.
124406
It's all going to depend on the agreement with the attorney.  Some attorneys will take a plaintiff's case on a contingency basis and you will sign a fee agreement.  Generally, the fee agreement will delineate what the attorney will get if the plaintiff recovers (example: 35%).  Some break it down by the point when the plaintiff recovers (before suit is filed 10%, after suit is filed but before trial 25%, after trial 35% etc - generally going to be measured on the amount of work).  These are generally the "you don't pay if you don't win" arrangements, but the client is usually still responsible for expenses.  They don't advertise that, but it has to be in the fee agreement.  Some plaintiff attorneys are paid hourly.  Civil defense attorneys are typically paid by the hour, win or lose (since they typically won't be recovering anything unless there is a cross complaint).  Criminal defense lawyers are generally paid by the hour since (in many jurisdictions if not all) criminal defense attorneys cannot have contingency arrangements with their clients.  Public defenders will generally be paid whatever the court deems appropriate (a lawyer will submit their fees to the court and the judge can either approve or alter the amount).
546707
if your good 150 an hour. if you suck, 149 and below.\n\ndont become a lawyer, lawyers are evil.
115437
Most lawyers will at least give a free initial consultation.  You should find out how much a lawyer would charge before you make your decision.
941305
I'm sure it's great.  The IRS tax code is so large, it's almost incomprehensible.  There will always, always be a need for tax advice and protection.\n\nHowever, I always thought that new lawyers worked 60-70 hours a week, at least if you are hoping to make partner in a decent firm.  That part I'd check on.  But the job will always have high demand and will always be able to demand high hourly rates.
968611
hmmm...what did you do?\n\ni used to work for a criminal lawyer and handled all dealing with Legal Aid....\n\nIf you qualify for Legal Aid then it wont cost you a thing, but if you dont then you are looking at a lot of money for good representation...\n\nThe lawyer that I worked for charged about $200-$350 per hour depending on the type of case.  This doesnt include expenses such as photocopying, postage and other expenses that you are charged for....\n\nI suggest that you talk to the duty lawyer and see where you stand before court if you cant afford to hire a lawyer...
44988
Lawyer pay is all over the map.  Right out of law school some graduates make six figures at their very first jobs.  Those people graduate from top tier law schools and they ranked at the top of their class.  They also had good clerkships with big firms during law school.  For everyone else the ranges are much lower.  Many attorneys start by working as a governmental attorney (for a municipality, a state or federal agency, etc.)  Those folks might start in the low 40s. Of course you have to start somewhere.\n\nNow, as time goes on attorneys make more money, and possibly a lot more money.  The goal of private practice attorneys is to become am equity partner, which means they share a piece of the firm’s total income.  The bigger the firm, the bigger the slice of pie, the bigger the income possibilities.   It’s not uncommon from a partner in a good law firm to make $250,000 or more.  The heavy hitters make much more, some hit a million a year.  Litigation is an area with a lot of upside, so partners in litigation firms can make more than partners who practice in a less profitable practice, like family law or traffic tickets.\n\nLike any profession, there is a huge upside if you are willing to work hard.  Most lawyers who make a lot of money work very long hours – late nights and weekends are common.\n\nGood Luck!
665931
Somewhere in the range of fifty to a hundred thousand dollars depending on how good you want it to be.  There are some non-profit agencies that do it for free for indigent defendants.
188292
Pound the pavement - make a lot of calls and meet with a lot of attorneys.  Your best bet for a cheap lawyer is one fresh out of lawschool just starting his/her practice.  Generally the younger the cheaper.
646690
As much as he can.\n\nYou should probably call around and discuss your specific issues with local attorneys specializing in such cases  before deciding on an attorney, "cheap" is quite often the most expensive representation.\n\nHINT: Avoid the ones with full page ads, inflated promises or tv commercials. Who do you think is really paying for those ads?
799387
/soapbox on\nI don't know what type of case you have, nor any of the particulars, since you failed to list any.  However, your request isn't reasonable.\n\nDo you go into a grocery store and ask them to give you free food?  Do you call a plumber and have him/her come to fix your pipes for free?  Do you expect teachers to teach you or your children without pay?\n\nFree legal advice is often worth what you pay for it: nothing.  An attorney has only his/her time, knowledge and experience to sell.  That is their "product".  When you ask an attorney for free advice, you are taking from their means of earning money.\n\n/soapbox off\n\nMany state and local bar associations offer a reduced cost consultation with an attorney for 30 minutes to an hour, and then if you want to retain the attorney, you may do so and negotiate with him/her over their fee.  I suggest you contact your local or state bar association and see if there is a program such as that available.
307805
You can always negotiate, it's just a matter of what the market will bear. You can't swing a dead cat in NY without hitting an attorney, so you can always try another one (or ten). However (i) ask yourself what is the incentive for the attorney to go lower than he/her peers; and (ii) do you really want to hire a cut rate or discount attorney? Would you go to a discount doctor? Would you eat bargain sushi?\n\nSympathies to you on your loss and good luck finding counsel.
141947
I used to work for a firm that had a complex computer system where notetaking and time recording took more time than actually doing the work.  Then I worked for a place that had flat fees, then if for some reason the client or the attorney got fired, it would be billed to the 10th of the hour.  That never happened.....\n\nI finally settled on a flat fee based on the time a case of the sort would normally take, taking into consideration the time periods for easiest and most difficult cases and averaging it out based on my expertise and experience and I come up with what I think is fair.  I raise prices when I think my skill is greater or the process becomes more time consuming.  Although the easy cases end up being a little expensive and the hard cases kinda cheap, it ends up balancing out.  If for some reason the work does not get completely done, I'll refund based on percentage of the case actually done.
1138411
After 5 years of college, as an arcitectural engineer, about $80,000 a year. Hey I'll be able to afford an attorney(a better one than that)!
231573
it depends on the state and the degree of the charges.
801468
Seriously.  None.  In the end he will be told to give you one half of what ever he got.  I have seen this happen many times.  I work for an attorney.  If your not close to trial then not much is going to happen.  Even then you will just have to get compensated.