Fees Please review this page as it pertains to fee structure of the office of Attorney Mary T. Damicone. There are several types of fee arrangements that attorneys use. The type of fees attorneys charge depend on the type of case they are handling and the client's ability to pay. The most common forms of billing include flat fees, hourly fees and retainer fees. Flat Fee A flat fee is an amount that the attorney and client agree upon before the attorney begins work on your case. The fee is based upon the amount of work (based on number of hours) the attorney expects to put into your case and is paid up front. Hourly Fee Attorneys may also charge you by the hour for the time they put into your case. These rates vary and depend upon the type of case being litigated. Usually, Attorney Damicone will be able to estimate the number of hours she will be spending on your case and can give you an estimate of what the total fee for your case will be. Retainer Fee A retainer fee is similar to a down payment on legal services, which is paid to an attorney to guarantee he or she will be available to work on your case. This means your lawyer may need to turn down other cases in order to be available for your case. In this arrangement, you may be billed separately for work on your case, and these fees may come out of the retainer itself. If more money is required to finish the case due to the extensive work it takes to resolve it, additional fees are required to be paid before the work can continue. Since the terms of this agreement vary, be sure to have your attorney explain the details of the retainer fee completely.