Re: unconscionable fees?

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Yes, it's ethical to charge by the hour regardless of the recovery.
If you don't like who are working for, quit.

On 9/24/06, secretary wrote:
> I appreciate your opinion and would also appreciate any one else's
> who may be reading this thread.
>
> For the record, the setting of fee scales was central to the
> original question. Nor was my last question different or "evolved"
> from the original one. The original question regards whether it is
> acceptable to make it 95&37; of your business to handle nuisance
cases
> and charge fees that are USUALLY at or in excess of the recovery,
> although those fees might not be unreasonable relative to the time
> spent.
>
> Again I appreciate any advice. I'm not however going to put up
with
> the implication that I want a certain answer or that I am changing
> the facts to evoke the answer I want. That is not the case.
>
> On 9/24/06, Curmudgeon wrote:
>> I don't tell them what kind of car to buy or where to shop for
>> their clothes or groceries. How they spend their money is their
>> business. Advertising agencies charge fees for "making a
>> statement" for their clients. Television stations charge for
>> air time for politicians, even though the guy doesn't have a
>> prayer in hell of getting elected. If a client wants to pay
>> money to publicly air his opinion or his beef, I'll take his
>> money. Keep in mind---I'm answering the question you originally
>> posed. I'm not going to get into a debate about the ethics of
>> inadequate disclosures or the setting of fee scales and I'm not
>> going to discuss an evolving set of hypothetical questions.
>>
>> On 9/24/06, secretary wrote:
>>> Yes, but if they are willing to pay for it, would you represent
>>> them, knowing that you were helping them take an unfavorable
>> risk?
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9/24/06, Curmudgeon wrote:
>>>> If a client wants to "make a statement" or fight something
>>>> as a "matter of principle"--I was always comfortable telling
>>>> them to do in on their own dime. Not mine. My time and
>>>> knowledge are my stock in trade. If you want to buy my
>>>> stock, pay for it. Don't expect me to give it to you.
>>>>
>>>> On 9/24/06, secretary wrote:
>>>>> What do you think about a lawyer who settles his cases for
>>>> a
>>>>> nuisance value (i.e., $1,500 - $5,000.00) approxinately
>>>> 95&37;
>>>>> of the time, having charged his clients $2,000 to $4,000.00
>>>>> to open the case? Is this inherently unethical? Is he
>>>>> excused if he specializes in clients who are willing to
>>>> take
>>>>> an unfavorable legal risk in order to 'make a statement'?