Legal fees are based on the complexity of the matter and the time required to complete the work.

Legal services are not begun until there is a clear understanding between the client and the firm as to fees and costs.

Most legal services are performed on an hourly rate basis.

In some cases, a flat fee is charged for a particular assignment.

In personal injury cases, work is performed on a contingency fee basis.  In such cases, the fee for legal services is a percentage of the amount of money obtained for the client.  If there is no recovery, there is no fee.

Legal matters often involve costs in addition to an attorney's compensation.  The most common costs are court filing fees, legal advertisement costs, surety bond premiums, process server charges, investigator fees, and deposition transcript costs.