The New York City Bar Legal Referral Service (LRS)

When you call the LRS, you will be speaking with one of our attorney referral counselors. All of our counselors are attorneys. All information you provide to the referral counselor will be kept confidential to the fullest extent possible under the law. The referral counselor will ask you some questions. This is necessary in order to better understand your legal issue. It also helps to determine whether a referral to a lawyer is appropriate for your situation and, if so, to decide what background and experience to look for in the lawyer we suggest.

If a referral to an LRS lawyer is appropriate, our referral counselor will match you with one of our screened and approved LRS lawyers. The referral counselor will take your name, address, and email address and give you the name, location, email address and telephone number of an LRS lawyer for you to contact. We will send you a confirmation of the referral to your email address with the lawyer’s contact information. You then contact the lawyer to schedule an appointment.

Sometimes hiring a lawyer is not necessary, cost-effective, or possible to address your particular situation — or we may not have an appropriate lawyer for your specific legal issue. For example, our referral counselor may determine that you need a lawyer licensed in another state to help you. If a referral to an LRS lawyer is not appropriate, the attorney referral counselor may offer other options to help you resolve your issue.

There is no charge for your conversation with the attorney referral counselor, or for the referral to a lawyer. If you are referred to a lawyer and schedule an appointment, you are entitled to an initial consultation of up to one-half hour with the lawyer. That consultation will be $35 or free, depending on the type of case. This fee helps support sufficient staffing so that we can provide free information to the public when a referral to a participating LRS lawyer is inappropriate or unnecessary.

Many clients find the consultation is all they need to remedy their problem. If further consultation or representation with the lawyer is needed, it is your choice whether to retain the lawyer or not. The fees to be paid for the lawyer’s services are agreed upon by you and the lawyer.

There are different ways that lawyers may charge for legal services. We recommend that you sign a written fee agreement with any lawyer you hire. This agreement, known as a Retainer Agreement, states what services the lawyer will provide and how the lawyer will be paid for those services. In New York, a lawyer is required to have a written fee agreement in matrimonial cases and in contingency fee matters. When you hire an lawyer who was recommended by the LRS, the lawyer will provide you with a Retainer Agreement that covers your situation.

Hourly Basis: A lawyer may charge for his or her time on an hourly basis. Most business and matrimonial matters are handled on an hourly basis. A deposit, known as a retainer fee, is usually paid when the lawyer is hired. In certain matters, the lawyer may be unable to predict how many hours of work or how expensive the entire case will be, but he or she should be able to give you an understanding of the process ahead and some ballpark figures regarding the costs at different stages. Some disbursement expenses may be additional. [A “disbursement” is money paid out for expenses such as costs for filing fees, court reporters, photocopying, travel, or long distance telephone calls.]
Contingency Fee Basis: A lawyer may handle a matter on a contingency fee basis. This means a client does not pay any fees unless the lawyer wins or settles the case. Matters such as personal injury, collection matters, products liability, malpractice and some sexual harassment cases are handled on a contingency fee basis. In some contingency fee arrangements, the lawyer may require the client to pay for certain expenses, such as fees for expert witnesses [An “expert” is a person who, because of his education or specialized experience, possesses superior knowledge about a subject. A person who is qualified as an “expert witness” will be allowed to testify in court to assist the judge or jury in understanding complicated or technical subjects not within the knowledge or understanding of the average person.] and disbursements [see definition above].
Flat or Straight Fee Basis: A lawyer may handle a matter on a flat fee basis. This means that there is a specific dollar amount for which the lawyer will handle the matter regardless of the hours spent. Bankruptcy, real estate purchases and uncontested divorces are often handled on a flat fee basis.
Combined Approach: A lawyer may combine several of the above options for a particular case. It is important to understand clearly what fee arrangement you agree to.