Rule 1.5 Fees
(a) A lawyer shall not make an agreement for, charge, or collect an illegal or clearly excessive fee or charge or collect a clearly excessive amount for expenses. The factors to be considered in determining whether a fee is clearly excessive include the following:
(1) the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly;
(2) the likelihood, if apparent to the client, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the lawyer;
(3) the fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services;
(4) the amount involved and the results obtained;
(5) the time limitations imposed by the client or by the circumstances;
(6) the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client;
(7) the experience, reputation, and ability of the lawyer or lawyers performing the services; and
(8) whether the fee is fixed or contingent.
(b) When the lawyer has not regularly represented the client, the scope of the representation and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses for which the client will be responsible shall be communicated to the client, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing the representation.
(c) A fee may be contingent on the outcome of the matter for which the service is rendered, except in a matter in which a contingent fee is prohibited by paragraph (d) or other law. A contingent fee agreement shall be in a writing signed by the client and shall state the method by which the fee is to be determined, including the percentage or percentages that shall accrue to the lawyer in the event of settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses to be deducted from the recovery; and whether such expenses are to be deducted before or after the contingent fee is calculated. The agreement must clearly notify the client of any expenses for which the client will be liable whether or not the client is the prevailing party. Upon conclusion of a contingent fee matter, the lawyer shall provide the client with a written statement stating the outcome of the matter and, if there is a recovery, showing the remittance to the client and the method of its determination.
(d) A lawyer shall not enter into an arrangement for, charge, or collect:
(1) a contingent fee for representing a defendant in a criminal case; however, a lawyer may charge and collect a contingent fee for representation in a criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceeding if not otherwise prohibited by law; or
(2) a contingent fee in a civil case in which such a fee is prohibited by law.
(e) A division of a fee between lawyers who are not in the same firm may be made only if:
(1) the division is in proportion to the services performed by each lawyer or each lawyer assumes joint responsibility for the representation;
(2) the client agrees to the arrangement, including the share each lawyer will receive, and the agreement is confirmed in writing; and
(3) the total fee is reasonable.
(f) Any lawyer having a dispute with a client regarding a fee for legal services must:
(1) at least 30 days prior to initiating legal proceedings to collect a disputed fee, notify his or her client in writing of the existence of the North Carolina State Bar’s program of fee dispute resolution; the notice shall state that if the client does not file a petition for resolution of the disputed fee with the State Bar within 30 days of the lawyer’s notification, the lawyer may initiate legal proceedings to collect the disputed fee; and
(2) participate in good faith in the fee dispute resolution process if the client submits a proper request. Good faith participation requires the lawyer to respond timely to all requests for information from the fee dispute resolution facilitator.
(g) A lawyer shall not enter into an arrangement for, charge, or collect anything of value for responding to an inquiry by a disciplinary authority regarding allegations of professional misconduct by the lawyer, for responding to a Client Security Fund claim alleging wrongful conduct by the lawyer, or for responding to and participating in the resolution of a petition for resolution of a disputed fee filed against the lawyer.
Comment
Appropriate Fees and Expenses
[1] Paragraph (a) requires that lawyers charge fees that are not clearly excessive under the circumstances. The factors specified in (1) through (8) are not exclusive. Nor will each factor be relevant in each instance. Paragraph (a) also requires that expenses for which the client will be charged must not be clearly excessive. A lawyer may seek reimbursement for expenses for in-house services, such as copying, or for other expenses incurred in-house, such as telephone charges, either by charging a reasonable amount to which the client has agreed in advance or by charging an amount that reasonably reflects the cost incurred by the lawyer.
Basis or Rate of Fee
[2] When the lawyer has regularly represented a client, an understanding will have ordinarily evolved concerning the basis or rate of the fee and the expenses for which the client will be responsible. In a new client-lawyer relationship, however, a written understanding as to fees and expenses should be promptly established. Generally, furnishing the client with a simple memorandum or copy of the lawyer's customary fee arrangements will suffice, provided that the writing states the general nature of the legal services to be provided, the basis, rate or total amount of the fee and whether and to what extent the client will be responsible for any costs, expenses or disbursements in the course of the representation. A written statement concerning the terms of the engagement reduces the possibility of misunderstanding.
[3] Contingent fees, like any other fees, are subject to the standard of paragraph (a) of this Rule. In determining whether a particular contingent fee is clearly excessive, or whether it is reasonable to charge any form of contingent fee, a lawyer must consider the factors that are relevant under the circumstances. Applicable law may impose limitations on contingent fees, such as a ceiling on the percentage allowable, or may require a lawyer to offer clients an alternative basis for the fee. Applicable law also may apply to situations other than a contingent fee, for example, government regulations regarding fees in certain tax matters.
Terms of Payment
[4] A lawyer may require advance payment of a fee, but is obliged to return any unearned portion. SeeRule 1.16(d). This does not apply when the advance payment is a true retainer to reserve services rather than an advance to secure the payment of fees yet to be earned. A lawyer may accept property in payment for services, such as an ownership interest in an enterprise, provided this does not involve acquisition of a proprietary interest in the cause of action or subject matter of the litigation contrary to Rule 1.8 (i). However, a fee paid in property instead of money may be subject to the requirements of Rule 1.8(a) because such fees often have the essential qualities of a business transaction with the client.
[5] Once a fee agreement has been reached between attorney and client, the attorney has an ethical obligation to fulfill the contract and represent the client's best interests regardless of whether the lawyer has struck an unfavorable bargain. An attorney may seek to renegotiate the fee agreement in light of changed circumstances or for other good cause, but the attorney may not abandon or threaten to abandon the client to cut the attorney's losses or to coerce an additional or higher fee. Any fee contract made or remade during the existence of the attorney-client relationship must be reasonable and freely and fairly made by the client having full knowledge of all material circumstances incident to the agreement. If a dispute later arises concerning the fee, the burden of proving reasonableness and fairness will be upon the lawyer.
[6] An agreement may not be made whose terms might induce the lawyer improperly to curtail services for the client or perform them in a way contrary to the client's interest. For example, a lawyer should not enter into an agreement whereby services are to be provided only up to a stated amount when it is foreseeable that more extensive services probably will be required, unless the situation is adequately explained to the client. Otherwise, the client might have to bargain for further assistance in the midst of a proceeding or transaction. However, it is proper to define the extent of services in light of the client's ability to pay. A lawyer should not exploit a fee arrangement based primarily on hourly charges by using wasteful procedures.
Prohibited Contingent Fees
[7] Paragraph (d) prohibits a lawyer from charging a contingent fee in a domestic relations matter when payment is contingent upon the securing of a divorce or upon the amount of alimony or support to be obtained. This provision does not preclude a contract for a contingent fee for legal representation in connection with the recovery of post-judgment balances due under support, alimony or other financial orders because such contracts do not implicate the same policy concerns.
Division of Fee
[8] A division of fee is a single billing to a client covering the fee of two or more lawyers who are not in the same firm. A division of fee facilitates association of more than one lawyer in a matter in which neither alone could serve the client as well, and most often is used when the fee is contingent and the division is between a referring lawyer and a trial specialist. Paragraph (e) permits the lawyers to divide a fee either on the basis of the proportion of services they render or if each lawyer assumes responsibility for the representation as a whole. In addition, the client must agree to the arrangement, including the share that each lawyer is to receive, and the agreement must be confirmed in writing. A lawyer may divide a fee with an out-of-state lawyer who refers a matter to the lawyer if the conditions of paragraph (e) are satisfied. Contingent fee agreements must be in a writing signed by the client and must otherwise comply with paragraph (c) of this Rule. Joint responsibility for the representation entails financial and ethical responsibility for the representation as if the lawyers were associated in a partnership. A lawyer should only refer a matter to a lawyer whom the referring lawyer reasonably believes is competent to handle the matter. See Rule 1.1.
[9] Paragraph (e) does not prohibit or regulate division of fees to be received in the future for work done when lawyers were previously associated in a law firm.
Disputes over Fees
[10] Participation in the fee dispute resolution program of the North Carolina State Bar is mandatory when a client requests resolution of a disputed fee. A lawyer’s obligation to respond timely to all requests for information from the fee dispute resolution facilitator continues even if the lawyer and the client reach a resolution of the dispute while the fee dispute petition is pending. Before filing an action to collect a disputed fee, the client must be advised of the fee dispute resolution program. Notification must occur not only when there is a specific issue in dispute, but also when the client simply fails to pay. However, when the client expressly acknowledges liability for the specific amount of the bill and states that he or she cannot presently pay the bill, the fee is not disputed and notification of the client is not required. If the address of the client is unknown, the lawyer must use reasonable efforts to acquire the current address of the client. Notification is not required in those instances where the State Bar does not have jurisdiction over the fee dispute as set forth in 27 N.C.A.C. 1D, .0702.
[11] If fee dispute resolution is requested by a client, the lawyer must participate in the resolution process in good faith. The State Bar program of fee dispute resolution uses mediation to resolve fee disputes as an alternative to litigation. The lawyer must cooperate with the person who is charged with investigating the dispute and with the person(s) appointed to mediate the dispute. Further information on the fee dispute resolution program can be found at 27 N.C.A.C. 1D, .0700, et. seq . The lawyer should fully set forth his or her position and support that position by appropriate documentation.
[12] A lawyer may petition a tribunal for a legal fee if allowed by applicable law or, subject to the requirements for fee dispute resolution set forth in Rule 1.5(f), may bring an action against a client to collect a fee. The tribunal's determination of the merit of the petition or the claim is reached by an application of law to fact and not by the application of this Rule. Therefore, a tribunal's reduction or denial of a petition or claim for a fee is not evidence that the fee request violates this Rule and is not admissible in a disciplinary proceeding brought under this Rule.
[13] Lawyers have a professional obligation to respond to inquiries by disciplinary authorities regarding allegations of their own professional misconduct, to respond to Client Security Fund claims alleging wrongful conduct by the lawyer, and to respond to and participate in good faith in the fee dispute resolution process. It is improper for a lawyer to charge a client for the time expended on these professional obligations because they are not legal services that a lawyer provides to a client, but rather they advance the interests of the public and the profession.
History Note: Statutory Authority G.S. 84-23
Adopted by the Supreme Court: July 24, 1997
Amendments Approved by the Supreme Court: March 1, 2003; September 25, 2019; April 21, 2021
Ethics Opinion Notes
RPC 2. Opinion rules that a lawyer may charge a contingent fee to recover child support payments.
RPC 7. Opinion rules that a lawyer may employ a collection agency to collect past due fees under certain circumstances.
RPC 35. Opinion rules that a lawyer generally may not charge a contingent fee to collect "med-pay."
RPC 50. Opinion rules that a lawyer may charge nonrefundable retainers that are reasonable in amount.
RPC 52. Opinion describes circumstances under which a lawyer who has been appointed to represent an indigent person may accept payment directly from the client.
RPC 106. Opinion discusses circumstances under which a refund of a prepaid fee is required.
RPC 107. Opinion rules that a lawyer and her client may agree to employ alternative dispute resolution procedures to resolve disputes between themselves.
RPC 141. Opinion rules that an attorney's contingent fee in a case resolved by a structured settlement should, if paid in a lump sum, be calculated in terms of the settlement's present value.
RPC 148. Opinion holds that a lawyer may not split a fee with another lawyer who does not practice in her law firm unless the division is based upon the work done by each lawyer or the client consents in writing, the fee is reasonable, and responsibility is joint.
RPC 155. Opinion rules that an attorney may charge a contingent fee to collect delinquent child support.
RPC 158. Opinion rules that a sum of money paid to a lawyer in advance to secure payment of a fee which is yet to be earned and to which the lawyer is not entitled must be deposited in the lawyer's trust account.
RPC 166. Opinion rules that a lawyer may seek to renegotiate a fee agreement with a client provided he does not abandon or threaten to abandon his client to cut his losses or to coerce a higher fee.
RPC 174. Opinion rules that a legal fee for the collection of "med-pay" which is based upon the amount collected is unreasonable.
RPC 190. Opinion rules that a lawyer who has agreed to bill a client on the basis of hours expended may not bill the client on the same basis for reused work product.
RPC 196. Opinion rules that a law firm may not charge a clearly excessive fee for legal representation even if the legal fee may be recovered from an opposing party.
RPC 205. Opinion rules that a lawyer may receive a fee for referring a case to another lawyer provided that, by written agreement with the client, both lawyers assume responsibility for the representation and the total fee is reasonable.
RPC 222. Opinion rules that prior to rendering legal services to a client, a lawyer may not obtain a confession of judgment from a client to secure a fee.
RPC 231. Opinion rules that a lawyer may not collect a contingent fee on the reimbursement paid to the client's medical insurance provider in addition to a contingent fee on the gross recovery if the total fee received by the lawyer is clearly excessive.
RPC 235. Opinion rules that a lawyer may charge a client an hourly rate, or a flat rate, for his or her services plus a contingent fee on the client's recovery provided the ultimate fee paid by the client is not clearly excessive and the client is given an honest assessment of the potential for recovery.
RPC 247. Opinion provides guidelines for receipt of payment of earned and unearned fees by electronic transfers.
97 Formal Ethics Opinion 4. Opinion provides that flat fees may be collected at the beginning of a representation, treated as presently owed to the lawyer, and deposited into the lawyer's general operating account or paid to the lawyer but that if a collected fee is clearly excessive under the circumstances of the representation, a refund to the client of some or all of the fee is required.
98 Formal Ethics Opinion 9. Opinion rules that a lawyer may charge a client the actual cost of retrieving a closed client file from storage, subject to certain conditions, provided the lawyer does not withhold the file to extract payment.
98 Formal Ethics Opinion 14. Opinion rules that a lawyer may participate in the solicitation of funds from third parties to pay the legal fees of a client provided there is disclosure to contributors and the funds are administered honestly.
99 Formal Ethics Opinion 1. Opinion rules that a lawyer may not accept a referral fee or solicitor's fee for referring a client to an investment advisor.
2000 Formal Ethics Opinion 5. Opinion rules that a lawyer may not tell a client that any fee paid prior to the rendition of legal services is "nonrefundable" although, by agreement with the client, a lawyer may collect a flat fee for legal services to be rendered in the future and treat the fee as earned immediately upon receipt subject to certain conditions.
2000 Formal Ethics Opinion 7. Opinion rules that a lawyer may not charge the client a legal fee for the time required to participate in the State Bar's fee dispute resolution program.
2002 Formal Ethics Opinion 4. Opinion rules that a lawyer may collect a contingent fee and/or a court-awarded attorney fee if consistent with the fee agreement with the client but may not collect a clearly excessive total fee under any circumstance.
2005 Formal Ethics Opinion 11. Opinion examines the requirements for an interim account used to pay the costs for real estate closings and also rules that the actual costs may be marked up by the lawyer provided there is full disclosure and the overcharges are not clearly excessive.
2005 Formal Ethics Opinion 12. Opinion explores a lawyer's obligation to return legal fees when a third party is the payor.
2005 Formal Ethics Opinion 13. Opinion rules that a minimum fee that will be billed against at an hourly rate and is collected at the beginning of representation belongs to the client and must be deposited into the trust account until earned and, upon termination of representation, the unearned portion of the fee must be returned to the client.
2006 Formal Ethics Opinion 2. Opinion rules that a lawyer may only refer a client to a financing company if certain conditions are met.
2006 Formal Ethics Opinion 12. Opinion explores the circumstances under which a lawyer may obtain litigation funding from a financing company.
2006 Formal Ethics Opinion 14. Opinion rules that when a lawyer charges a fee for a consultation, and the lawyer accepts payment, there is a client-lawyer relationship for the purposes of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
2006 Formal Ethics Opinion 15. Opinion rules that a lawyer may charge a reasonable dormancy fee against unclaimed funds if the client agrees in advance and the fee meets other statutory requirements.
2007 Formal Ethics Opinion 8. Opinion rules that a lawyer may not charge a client for filing and presenting a motion to withdraw unless withdrawal advances the client's objectives for the representation or the charge is approved by the court when ruling on a petition for legal fees from a court-appointed lawyer.
2007 Formal Ethics Opinion 13. Opinion rules that, to insure honest billing predicated on hourly charges, the lawyer must establish a reasonable hourly rate for his services and for the services of his staff; disclose the basis for the amounts to be charged; avoid wasteful, unnecessary, or redundant procedures; and make certain that the total cost to the client is not clearly excessive.
2008 Formal Ethics Opinion 8. Opinion rules that a provision in a law firm employment agreement for dividing legal fees received after a lawyer's departure from a firm must be reasonable and may not penalize or deter the withdrawing lawyer from taking clients with her.
2008 Formal Ethics Opinion 10. Opinion surveys prior ethics opinions on legal fees, sets forth the ethical requirements for the different types of fees paid in advance, authorizes minimum fees earned upon payment, and provides model fee provisions.
2010 Formal Ethics Opinion 4. Opinion provides guidelines for participation in a barter exchange.
2010 Formal Ethics Opinion 6. Opinion rules that a lawyer may place an advertisement for employment in practice areas in which the lawyer does not have experience only if the lawyer intends to provide competent representation either by promptly obtaining competence through study and investigation or by associating a lawyer who is competent in those particular areas of law. If, at the time the advertisement is placed, it is likely the lawyer will associate more experienced lawyers to handle the resulting cases, that fact should be disclosed to the public in the advertisement.
2010 Formal Ethics Opinion 10. Opinion rules that a law firm may charge a client for the expenses associated with an out-of-office consultation so long as advertisements referencing the service indicate that the client will be charged for the service and the client consents to the charge prior to the visit.
2011 Formal Ethics Opinion 10. Opinion rules that a lawyer may advertise on a website that offers daily discounts to consumers where the website company’s compensation is a percentage of the amount paid to the lawyer if certain disclosures are made and certain conditions are satisfied.
2012 Formal Ethics Opinion 3. Opinion rules that a lawyer may charge interest on a delinquent client account, without an advance agreement with the client, to the extent and in the manner permitted by law.
2012 Formal Ethics Opinion 10. Opinion rules a lawyer may not participate as a network lawyer for a company providing litigation or administrative support services for clients with a particular legal/business problem unless certain conditions are satisfied.
2012 Formal Ethics Opinion 12. Opinion rules that an agreement for a departing lawyer to pay his former firm a percentage of any legal fee subsequently recovered from the continued representation of a contingent fee client by the departing lawyer does not violate Rule 5.6 if the agreement was negotiated by the departing lawyer and the firm after the departing lawyer announced his departure from the firm and the specific percentage is a reasonable resolution of the dispute over the division of future fees.
2013 Formal Ethics Opinion 3. Opinion examines a lawyer’s responsibilities when charging and collecting from a client for the expenses of representation.
2013 Formal Ethics Opinion 9. Opinion provides guidance to lawyers who work for a public interest law organization that provides legal and non-legal services to its clientele and that has an executive director who is not a lawyer.
2015 Formal Ethics Opinion 4. Opinion analyzes a lawyer’s professional responsibilities when she discovers that she made an error that may adversely impact the client’s case.
2018 Formal Ethics Opinion 4. Opinion rules that a lawyer may offer clients on-site access to a financial brokerage company as a payment option for legal fees so long as the lawyer is satisfied that the financial arrangements offered by the company are legal, the lawyer receives no consideration from the company, and the lawyer does not recommend one payment option over another.
2018 Formal Ethics Opinion 6. Opinion rules that, with certain conditions, a lawyer may include in a client’s fee agreement a provision allowing the lawyer’s purchase of litigation cost protection insurance and requiring reimbursement of the insurance premium from the client’s funds in the event of a settlement or favorable trial verdict.
2019 Formal Ethics Opinion 5. Opinion rules that a lawyer may receive virtual currency as a flat fee for legal services, provided the fee is not clearly excessive and the terms of Rule 1.8(a) are satisfied. A lawyer may not, however, accept virtual currency as entrusted funds to be billed against or to be held for the benefit of the lawyer, the client, or any third party.
2021 Formal Ethics Opinion 3. Opinion rules that a closing lawyer representing the buyer in a residential real estate transaction may not charge a fee for services performed that primarily benefit the buyer to a separately represented seller unless the seller consents to the fee and the lawyer complies with Rules 1.5(a) and 1.8(f). The opinion also allows a closing lawyer to charge a seller for services performed that primarily benefit the seller if seller is notified in advance of the charge and has a reasonable opportunity to object to the charge.
