Get your attorney-client agreement in writing: Legal Services Agreement
What is a Legal Services Agreement?
When to use a Legal Services Agreement:
- You're an attorney who offers legal services.
- You need legal services provided by an attorney.
- You manage a law firm and need to update your documents.
Sample Legal Services Agreement
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LEGAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES. This agreement, is made between , (Attorney) and , (Client).
LEGAL SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED. The legal services to be provided by Attorney to Client are as follows:
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ATTORNEY AND CLIENTS. Attorney will perform the legal services called for under this agreement, keep Client informed of progress and developments, and respond promptly to Client's inquiries and communications. Client will be truthful and cooperative with Attorney; keep Attorney reasonably informed of developments and of Client's address, telephone numbers and whereabouts; and timely make any payments required by this agreement.
COMPENSATION. Client will pay Attorney for the legal services provided under this agreement as follows:
Flat Fee. In consideration for the services to be performed by Attorney, Client agrees to pay the sum of , upon completion of the services to be performed.
rate:- per hour for services rendered by partners of the Law Firm- per hour for services rendered by associates of the Law Firm- per hour for services rendered by paralegals of the Law Firm
Attorney will charge for all activities undertaken in providing legal services to Clients under this agreement, including, but not limited to, the following: conferences, court sessions, and depositions preparation and participation; correspondence and legal documents review and preparation; legal research; and telephone conversations. When two or more of Attorney's personnel are engaged in working on the matter at the same time, such as in conferences between them, the time of each will be charged at his or her hourly rate.
Payment is expected for all services and expenses 15
If, while this agreement is in effect, Attorney increases the hourly rates being charged to clients generally for attorney's fees, that increase may be applied to fees incurred under this agreement, but only with respect to services provided 30 days or more after written notice of the increase is mailed to Clients. If Clients choose not to consent to the increased rates, Clients may terminate Attorney's services under this agreement by written notice effective when received by Attorney, provided Clients execute and return a substitution-of-attorney form immediately on its receipt from Attorney if Attorney is Clients' attorney of record in any proceeding.
Clients acknowledge that Attorney has made no promises about the total amount of attorney's fees to be incurred by Clients under this agreement.
COSTS. Clients will pay all "costs" in connection with Attorney's representation of Clients under this agreement. Costs will be advanced by Attorney and then billed to Clients unless the costs can be met out of client deposits that are applicable toward costs. Costs include, but are not limited to, court filing fees, deposition costs, expert fees and expenses, investigation costs, long-distance telephone charges, messenger service fees, photocopying expenses, and process server fees.
Of this amount, is refundable and is nonrefundable. The nonrefundable portion will be applied against attorney's fees first. If, at the termination of services under this agreement, the total amount incurred by Client for attorney's fees is less than the amount of the initial deposit, the difference, to a maximum of the refundable portion of the deposit, will be refunded to Client.
GENERAL PROVISIONS. This agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the parties. Any amendments must be in writing and signed by both parties. This agreement shall be construed under the laws of the State of . If any provision of this agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining portions of this agreement shall remain in full force and effect and construed so as to best effectuate the original intent and purpose of this agreement.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF AGREEMENT. This agreement becomes effective as of the date it is executed by the parties to do so.
The foregoing is agreed to by:
| By: | Date: |
| By: | Date: |
Legal Services Agreement FAQs
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Why is it necessary to make an Attorney Agreement?
Even if you are providing legal counsel as a favor, having a record of any agreements with those hiring you is important. Using a Legal Services Agreement most likely will be helpful to your business due to this list of benefits:
- There are no surprises about how long the engagement lasts
- Neither party is confused about the payment schedule
- Both parties know what they are responsible for
In the end, if you opt not to make a Legal Services Contract, you might not enjoy any of the aforementioned protections.
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What do lawyers cover in a contract for legal services?
Before getting started, you should prepare these critical details for the Legal Services Agreement:
- Name and address of the client
- What kind of services will be delivered
- How long the engagement will last
- How much it will cost and when payment is due
As you might expect from a contract like this, any Legal Services Agreement made with Rocket Lawyer will also include the typical legalese about the non-employer relationship between the lawyer and client, confidentiality, and lastly, reimbursement for losses. While building your contract, you also can pick which state's jurisdiction it falls under. Using the Rocket Lawyer document tool, you are able to implement additional modifications, as necessary.
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Can I make a custom legal service agreement template for free?
Luckily, you do not have to start from scratch when putting your agreement in writing. When using Rocket Lawyer, any legal professional can make Legal Services Agreements with relative ease. Your contract is built piece by piece, so you can be sure that it contains the correct details that you'll need. Ordinarily, for this level of personalization, you might ultimately end up paying a traditional law firm a few hundred dollars, if not more, in fees.
If you have any questions or concerns about the process, talk to a lawyer . You should also feel free to explore more business legal documents in our library.
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What should I do next after making a Legal Services Agreement?
Attached alongside each Legal Services Agreement, there's a set of next steps to take after your document is completed. You also may interact with your document in any or all of these ways: making edits, printing it out, downloading it in PDF format or as a Word document, and/or getting signatures. Finally, everyone should always get a copy of your fully executed contract.
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How can I get my Legal Services Agreement checked out by another lawyer?
Depending on whom you reach out to, some attorneys won't even agree to review a contract that they didn't work on. A more favorable approach to consider is to go through the Rocket Lawyer On Call® attorney network. When you become a Premium member, you will be able to request guidance from an attorney with business experience or pose other questions related to your Legal Services Contract. Rocket Lawyer is here for you.
