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Over $5M in Disputed Legal Fees Resolved in NALFA’s Mediation Program

May 1, 2017 | Posted in : Billing Record / Entries, Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Fee Agreement, Fee Award Factors, Fee Dispute, Fee Dispute Litigation / ADR, Fee Expert / Member, Hourly Rates, Legal Bills / Legal Costs, NALFA News

NALFA’s Fee Dispute Mediation Program is the nation’s only program devoted exclusively to resolving attorney-client fee disputes.  NALFA’s Fee Dispute Mediation Program reached a milestone recently: Over $5 million in disputed legal fees resolved between parties.  Since its inception, NALFA’s Fee Dispute Mediation Program has settled over $5 million in disputed attorney fees and expenses between parties in over 35 cases.  The over 35 cases were brought by both law firms and clients ranging from fee dispute matters of $37,000 to $975,000 from across the U.S.  One fee dispute case was from the UK.

Attorney fee disputes are the result of a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship.  This breakdown may be a misunderstanding in the fee agreement or confusion over the law firm billing records.  Whatever the cause, mediation is the quickest, simplest, and most cost-effective way to resolve these attorney fee disputes.  NALFA offers a private mediation service specifically designed to resolve attorney fee disputes of all types and sizes.

NALFA's fee dispute mediators are uniquely qualified to resolve fee disputes between parties in a cost effective and confidential manner.  These fee dispute mediators are trained neutrals who understand the underlying issues in fee and billing dispute matters.  Their fee dispute mediators include former judges, seasoned litigators, and in-house counsel. 

NALFA's fee dispute mediators are highly knowledgeable on reasonable attorney fees and proper legal billing practices.  They understand the array of issues in fee dispute cases such as fee agreements, hourly rates, tasked performed, fee entitlement, attorney fee ethics, and fee award factors.  These mediators can often provide each side with an unbiased assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of their case.  They can also discuss with the parties what might happen if the fee dispute does not settle. 

Since the program began, NALFA’s Fee Dispute Mediation Program has achieved a 86% success rate—parties who mediate in a session are resolved six out of every seven times.  This rate is significantly higher than most bar-administered fee dispute programs.

NALFA is dedicated to providing parties a mediation process that offers flexibility, a level playing field, and time and cost savings.  Parties control when and where the mediation will occur, who will serve as the mediator, and whether they will accept a settlement offer.  Unlike most bar-administered programs, NALFA stays with the fee dispute matter as long as necessary to bring it to a resolution.

"This achievement belongs to the outstanding work of our members, the nation's best fee dispute mediators," said Terry Jesse, Executive Director of NALFA.  "Their understanding of fee issues and their mediation skills are the reason we're celebrating this milestone," Jesse concluded.