Agreement For Legal Services Template (Page 5 of 5) in pdf

Agreement For Legal Services Template Page 5

_______________________________

Client

______________________________

Attorney_

Signature Blocks— Ensure that you and the client sign all fee agreements. If the client had an interpreter, add

language that states that the agreement was interpreted in the client’s native language and by whom. You will also

need to include language addressing who is responsible for providing interpreters for future meetings with the client,

whether the use of family members as interpreters is appropriate, and how the interpreter is to be paid.

3rd Party Payer Acknowledgement—Sometimes in criminal or family law matters a third party such as a parent

may be paying the legal bills for the client. Add language that describes that the third party payer has no standing to

interfere with the client-lawyer relationship and its privileged communication. A provision similar to this should be

included in your fee agreement: “Co-signer/Third Party Payer of Fees and Costs—The undersigned hereby

agrees to pay or unconditionally guarantees payment of all sums due Attorney on behalf of Client pursuant to the

terms and conditions of this Agreement and shall not interfere with the independent judgment of the Attorney.”

Other clauses you may want to include, depending on the circumstances:

•

Withdrawal of Attorney or Discharge by Client

•

Communication; consider language that describes how email and attachments are used, especially

confidentiality concerns and reasonable response period

•

Entire Agreement of Parties

•

Client’s Right to Independent Counsel to Review the Agreement

•

File Ownership and Retention Policy

•

Liens and Guarantees of Payment (e.g., health care providers)

•

Disclaimer of Tax Advice

•

Attorney’s Right to Associate with Co-Counsel

•

Approval Necessary for Settlement

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Agreement For Legal Services Template Page 5