Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Service to be rendered
We confirm that you have retained us to perform the following legal services on your
behalf:
[Set out the legal services in sufficient detail that the client knows just what you
have agreed to do and, equally important, what you have not agreed to do. The
detail will depend on the nature of the matter and sophistication of the client.
With a new client, its better to err on the side of over-informing. Use plain
language.]
As our client, you will decide the general direction your matter will follow. Before taking
any major step, we’ll ask for your instructions on how you want to proceed. We’ll usually
make a recommendation, but the final decision will be yours. We’ll then provide the
legal services necessary to carry out your instructions. We can make no guarantees
about the outcome of your matter, but we will give you the best legal services we can.
Communication
Two-way communication will be very important in our relationship. If you ever need
clarification of what we are doing, please call or make an appointment for a meeting. If
you have any information that might help us to handle your matter, please let us know.
We’ll report to you from time to time by letter or in person and send you copies of
correspondence we send or receive and documents we prepare. If you need further
explanation of a document or correspondence you receive from us, please call us right
away.
The current hourly rates for the lawyers who will be working for you are:
Atty. Mary Gold Brocales – P20,000 per hour
Atty. Juan Dela Cruz – P10,000 per hour
We’ll notify you before changing these rates. If you have any questions about our rates,
please ask.
[2. Hourly rate or time basis, with value review on completion of matter]
We may adjust your final bill up or down to a fair and reasonable amount based on
factors such as:
a) the nature of the matter, its difficulty and urgency, its importance to you, its
monetary value, and the need for special skills or services
c) the likelihood, if made known to you, that accepting this retainer will mean
that we are unable to accept other employment
Disbursements
Disbursements are payments we make to third parties to carry your matter forward.
Some examples of disbursements are charges for long distance telephone and fax,
courier, travel, process service, surveys, searches, transcripts, certificates. Other
examples are fees payable to the Land Titles Office, Corporate Registry, and the court.
You’ll be responsible for paying our disbursements on your matter.
Other charges
Regarding other charges for non-legal services, we will bill you only for photocopying.
All other items will be supplied as part of our fee.
If you have any questions about these charges, please call. We want you to have a full
understanding of the basis on which we charge for non-legal services.
Billings
To keep you informed about how much the matter is costing you and to allow us to
continue to carry on business while the matter proceeds, we will send you an interim bill
every month. When your matter is completed, we’ll send a final bill. All bills, including
interim bills, are due when rendered. After 30 days, we charge interest on the
outstanding balance at 20% per year until the bill is fully paid.
If you decide to terminate my services, I will render a final accounting covering unbilled
time, other charges and disbursements. You will have to pay this account and all other
outstanding accounts before the file will be released to you. If you have any questions
about terminating services, please call and ask.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of service. Again, we look forward to working with
you.
Yours sincerely, I have read and agreed to the terms within this
retainer letter
Atty. Mary Gold R. Brocales