常见问题

常见问题/仲裁费用    [+]展示所有答案

1. 什么是费用仲裁?

   乔治亚州律师协会, 代表乔治亚州最高法院, administers the Fee Arbitration Program as a service to both the public and Georgia attorneys. The actual arbitration is a hearing conducted by one or more persons not involved in the dispute. In most 情况下, two experienced attorneys and one non-attorney public member serve as the arbitrators. 像法官, they review the evidence and hear the arguments on both sides and decide the outcome of the dispute. 仲裁是公正的，而且通常比上法庭要便宜. The purpose of the Program is to provide a convenient mechanism for the resolution of disputes between attorneys and clients over fees. The Fee Arbitration Program also arbitrates certain fee disputes between attorneys and law firms.

2. 法律费用是如何确定的?

   The value of the professional services of the attorney are not easily measured since legal matters differ widely and no two factual situations are exactly alike. 因此, 在大多数情况下, the fee will depend upon the factors involved in the specific case at hand and cannot be determined by any pre-established general fee schedule. 最常考虑的因素包括:

   • 所需的时间和劳力, 这个问题的新颖性和难度, 以及正确执行法律服务所需的技能;
   • the likelihood that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the attorney;
   • the fee customarily charged in the locality by attorneys with comparable experience for similar legal services;
   • 涉及的数额和取得的结果;
   • 委托人要求的时限或者实际情况要求的时限;
   • 与客户的专业关系的性质和长度;
   • the experience, reputation and ability of the attorney or attorneys, performing the services;
   • 费用是固定的还是有条件的.

3. 奖项是如何收集的?

   在大多数情况下，败诉方在90天内履行裁决. 如果没有发生, the award may be filed with the Superior Court of the county of the losing party and it becomes the equivalent of a judgment of that court. 它可以像任何其他高等法院判决一样由当事人强制执行. 乔治亚州律师协会也许能够协助收集过程, 但它对仲裁程序的参与通常随着裁决的提交而结束.

4. 我如何获得更多关于费用仲裁的信息?

   联系费用仲裁计划的成员，或致电404-527-8750，或1-800-334-6865分机8750.

5. 我如何要求费用仲裁?

   你填写一份被称为请愿书的表格. This may be obtained by writing or calling the 乔治亚州律师协会's Fee Arbitration Program.

6. 仲裁需要多长时间?

   许多案件在仲裁听证会之前就解决了. 有些人会在几周内完成，而有些人则需要更长的时间. 如果仲裁过程没有解决, 一个案件平均需要11个月才能完成. 当然，有些情况需要更短的时间，而更困难的情况可能需要更长的时间.

7. 我需要支付多少仲裁费用?

   委托人和律师之间没有纠纷. The Fee Arbitration Program is a free public service of the 乔治亚州律师协会 offered to attorneys and their former clients; however, 如果上诉, subsequent litigation or collection actions are required after an arbitration is concluded and an award is issued, 额外诉讼费用由当事人自行承担.

   Attorneys who file a joint petition for Fee Arbitration for Attorneys or Law Firms are offered up to eight hours of arbitration free for the specific dispute. 适当的时薪, 由律师/律师事务所双方平均分配, 在八小时的仲裁后进行评估.

8. 费用仲裁裁决有约束力吗?

   是的，双方必须同意受约束. 如果一方不同意受约束，我们就不能进行仲裁.

9. 如果我投诉的是错误的法律建议(渎职)或疏忽怎么办, 不成功的审判策略或律师的无效协助(策略), 或者不道德的行为?

   • The State Bar has no program to handle 情况下 or complaints for faulty legal advice (malpractice) or negligence, 不成功的审判策略或律师的无效协助(策略). 您可能希望获得有关其他可能的补救措施的法律建议.
   • Complaints alleging the unethical conduct of attorneys may be addressed with the Client Assistance Program (CAP) of the Office of the General Counsel of the 乔治亚州律师协会. Please call CAP at 404-527-8759 or write them at the 乔治亚州律师协会’s headquarters address in Atlanta for more information.
   • 收费仲裁程序旨在处理主要以收费为导向的争议. 如果你的案子真的是建立在错误的法律建议(渎职)或疏忽之上, 不成功的审判策略或律师的无效协助(策略), 或者不道德的行为, 委员会有权终止或暂停任何费用仲裁, 除了特殊情况, 这就是将要发生的事情.

10. 客户可以做些什么来避免未来的费用纠纷?

    一定要向你的律师索要一份书面费用协议. 尽管大多数收费类型不需要书面收费协议, 有一份书面费用协议有助于明确律师将收取什么费用. 如果你不理解协议内容，可以向律师提问. 这一点至关重要，因为明确的初步协议往往会防止随后的纠纷. 如果你要租房子, 你可能会问电费, 租金包括水费和捡垃圾的费用. You should ask questions about the agreement and which services the attorney will provide under it. 仲裁员, 在大多数情况下, 不能作出与已执行的书面收费合同条款相抵触的裁决.

    问你的律师一些具体的问题. 例如，你每次给律师打电话或发邮件都要收费吗? 费用是否包括定期向您提供更新? “定期”对律师意味着什么? 如果案件的审理时间比你们预期的长，费用会增加吗? 即使不需要逐项的账单, ask the attorney for an itemized bill if the attorney charges by the hour so that you will know how much the case is costing as it progresses.

    Some attorneys will take your case on a "contingency" basis when you pursue a case against someone for money. 这意味着如果你输了官司，你不会被收取律师费. 如果胜诉，你要付给律师和解金额或判决金额的一定比例. Before you agree to a contingency fee, make sure you understand how it will work in your case. 律师的提成是多少? 是从总奖励金额中扣除，还是在扣除费用后扣除? Ask the attorney to explain the difference between the attorney’s fee and the expenses related to your case. 如果案件提交法庭，律师费会增加吗? 如果你在初审法庭上败诉，费用会更高吗, 但是向更高一级的法院上诉并获胜?

    大多数律师收取预付金. Get a clear understanding as to whether the retainer is refundable or nonrefundable in the event the case or your attorney/client relationship concludes prior to its expected time.

11. 你对仲裁听证会有什么期待?

    仲裁听证会是非正式的. 你可能会被要求发誓说真话, 但这是仲裁中唯一类似法庭审判的部分. 任何一方均可选择由律师代表, 但在听证会上不需要律师的代表. The Fee Arbitration Program was designed so that the clients can present their side of the dispute without incurring the expense of employing a second attorney to reduce the fee requested by the first attorney. 然而，聘请律师进行费用仲裁是你的决定. If you feel that the amount in issue or other reasons warrant you having your own attorney present, 你可以由你选择的律师代表你. 如果你选择有律师在场，律师的费用是你的责任.

12. 如果他或她的律师的账单似乎太高，客户应该怎么做?

    The petitioner is required to make a good faith effort to resolve the dispute prior to filing a petition for fee arbitration. 检查你的书面费用协议和分项账单，如果适用的话. 如果你们没有任何协议, the law provides that the attorney is entitled to a reasonable fee taking into consideration all factors including those previously listed. 如果账单仍然比你同意的要高, 或者看起来不合理, 和你的律师谈谈有关费用的问题. 通常，纠纷可以通过你和你的律师讨论你所关心的问题来避免. 让你的律师解释为什么账单比你预期的要高. 你可能会发现这个案子比你想象的要复杂，要花更多的时间. 另一方面，律师可能会同意存在账单错误. If, 在和你的律师讨论了情况之后, 你还没有得出一个令人满意的解决办法, 你可以提出收费仲裁申请.

13. 谁是仲裁员?

    通常有三名仲裁员. Two of the arbitrators are attorneys who must have a minimum of five years' experience practicing law. 第三名仲裁员是非律师的公众成员. In 情况下 in which the disputed amount is $2,500 or less, one lawyer arbitrator may decide the case. 所有仲裁员均自愿无偿服务. 这些仲裁员决定你的案子，而不是乔治亚州律师协会. The role of the State Bar is to facilitate the fee arbitration process by coordination and administration of the program.

14. 什么案件可以仲裁?

    一般来说，客户和律师之间关于费用的所有争议都可以仲裁. 以下是一些例外情况:

    • 涉及由律师收取费用的案件, 或者是, 在提供服务时没有在乔治亚州执业的执照.
    • Cases involving services performed outside of Georgia or from an office located outside of Georgia.
    • Cases in which there was no express or implied attorney/client relationship between the parties at the time the legal services in question were performed.
    • 争议费为1,000美元或以下的案件.
    • 法律或法规规定收费的案件.
    • Cases in which the full amount or all terms have already been fixed or approved by order of a court.
    • 这些案件是在争议首次出现的两年后提起的.
    • 呈请书没有包括下列资料的个案:
    1. 日期;
    2. 申请人签名;
    3. 客户和律师的身份以及双方的联系方式;
    4. 对争议的性质和申请人立场的详细说明, 包括有关日期;
    5. a statement indicating the petitioner has made a good faith effort to resolve the dispute and the details of that effort;
    6. 请愿人同意受仲裁结果的约束.
    • 呈请人的要求似乎没有法律依据的案件.

    如果您的情况被确定为符合上述一种或多种例外情况, 你会被告知，管辖权被拒绝了. 虽然这意味着不会进行仲裁听证会, 它不会影响你在乔治亚州或联邦法律下的其他权利.