ST Forum: Offer Guidelines For Legal Fees

[JJ_JJ]

Is it true that the legal sector charge clients like what is being accused here by Mdm Chang for such cases?

 

Any lawyer bros or bros familiar with such care to comment?

 

From ST Forum:

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_773737.html

 

Offer guidelines for legal fees

Published on Mar 5, 2012

 

I RECENTLY engaged a lawyer to settle a tenancy dispute. I was told that legal costs are time-based and my straightforward case would cost about $5,000. However, the final bill came up to $23,000 - about five times the original estimate.

 

The lawyer claimed that the additional costs arose because he had to spend more time on my case, submitting five affidavits instead of three as expected initially.

 

The charges were billed over three instalments, two of which amounting to $20,000 were when the case was in progress and I felt compelled to pay so as not to jeopardise the proceedings. Then came the final bill of $3,000.

 

I called the Law Society of Singapore, only to find out that there are no guidelines for legal fees, unlike for the medical profession, which until recently had them to guard against overcharging.

 

I was told to find out about the fees charged by other lawyers, and was given figures of $4,000 and $5,000 by two law firms.

 

Proportionally speaking, if three affidavits cost $5,000, five should cost only about $8,000.

 

And if the affidavits are largely the same, with each subsequent one incorporating new points to refute the rebuttals of the defendant, should the fees not be incremental instead of being multiples of five?

 

There should be fee guidelines to ensure that professionals are not given a free hand when billing their clients.

 

The Law Society and the Consumers Association of Singapore should look into how legal fees are charged.

 

Chang Lee Lee (Madam)

 

 

I am surprised that if the final cost would to be more that the initial indication, why didnt the lawyer make it known to Mdm Chang? Isnt that a common sense?

[Zanter]

If you have a gangster as landlord will you default?

[ShawnLitigation]

Is it true that the legal sector charge clients like what is being accused here by Mdm Chang for such cases?

 

Any lawyer bros or bros familiar with such care to comment?

 

From ST Forum:

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_773737.html

 

Offer guidelines for legal fees

Published on Mar 5, 2012

 

I RECENTLY engaged a lawyer to settle a tenancy dispute. I was told that legal costs are time-based and my straightforward case would cost about $5,000. However, the final bill came up to $23,000 - about five times the original estimate.

 

The lawyer claimed that the additional costs arose because he had to spend more time on my case, submitting five affidavits instead of three as expected initially.

 

The charges were billed over three instalments, two of which amounting to $20,000 were when the case was in progress and I felt compelled to pay so as not to jeopardise the proceedings. Then came the final bill of $3,000.

 

I called the Law Society of Singapore, only to find out that there are no guidelines for legal fees, unlike for the medical profession, which until recently had them to guard against overcharging.

 

I was told to find out about the fees charged by other lawyers, and was given figures of $4,000 and $5,000 by two law firms.

 

Proportionally speaking, if three affidavits cost $5,000, five should cost only about $8,000.

 

And if the affidavits are largely the same, with each subsequent one incorporating new points to refute the rebuttals of the defendant, should the fees not be incremental instead of being multiples of five?

 

There should be fee guidelines to ensure that professionals are not given a free hand when billing their clients.

 

The Law Society and the Consumers Association of Singapore should look into how legal fees are charged.

 

Chang Lee Lee (Madam)

 

It is surprising i was thinking like you that but i take stepped out and found a good lawyer who is very reasonable for all. Also, able to find all the solution for legal. Thanks to my lawyer.