In North Carolina, which advance legal fees must go into the trust account, and which can a lawyer treat as earned on payment?

Plain-English summary

The committee issued this opinion to gather, survey, and reconcile the scattered and seemingly inconsistent prior opinions on fees collected at the start of a representation, and to provide model fee-agreement provisions. It first restates three baseline duties: no fee may be illegal or clearly excessive (Rule 1.5(a) and its factors), funds that belong to the client until earned must be deposited in the trust account (Rule 1.15-2(a)), and the lawyer must deal honestly and give the client enough information to make reasonable decisions about the fee (Rule 1.4, Rule 8.4(c)).

Surveying RPC 50, RPC 158, 97 FEO 4, 2005 FEO 13, and 2000 FEO 5, the opinion sorts advance fees into categories. An advance payment is a deposit billed against (usually hourly) as services are rendered; it remains the client's property, must go into the trust account, and the unearned portion is refunded if the client discharges the lawyer. A general retainer is consideration solely for reserving the lawyer's exclusive availability (not payment for the work), is earned on payment, and goes to the operating account. A flat fee (or prepaid flat fee) pays for specified work on a discrete task; if the client consents, it is earned on payment and goes to the operating account. A hybrid fee combines an immediately earned portion with an advance portion that must stay in trust, and absent a clear allocation the whole payment is treated as client funds. The opinion stresses that 2000 FEO 5 bars the label "nonrefundable" because every fee is refundable to the extent clearly excessive, and that calling a fee nonrefundable is false and misleading under Rule 7.1.

Reconciling the opinions, the committee retains the strict definition of the general retainer but newly recognizes a "minimum fee": consideration paid at the start to reserve the lawyer's services, against which the lawyer then provides legal services up to the value of the fee, earned on payment and deposited in the operating account, and subject to refund only if the reservation charge is clearly excessive. To the extent any prior opinion is inconsistent, it is overruled. The opinion closes with practical guidance and model written provisions for advance payments, general retainers, flat fees, and minimum fees, noting that while only contingent fees must be in writing (Rule 1.5(c)), putting any advance-fee agreement in writing is prudent given how often clients misunderstand such payments.

In practice

Under the North Carolina rules as they stood at the time of the opinion, the deposit question turns on whether the money belongs to the client until earned. Per the opinion, an advance payment (and the advance portion of a hybrid fee) must be deposited in the trust account and withdrawn only as earned, with the unearned balance refunded on termination (Rule 1.15-2(a)); a general retainer, flat fee, or minimum fee may be treated as earned on payment and held in the operating account, but only if the client agrees, and each remains subject to refund to the extent clearly excessive (Rule 1.5(a)).

Per the opinion, no fee is truly nonrefundable and a lawyer may not use that label (Rule 7.1; 2000 FEO 5). The opinion recognizes the new "minimum fee" category, overrules inconsistent prior opinions, and recommends (though does not require for non-contingent fees) a written agreement using clear language like its model provisions.

Common questions

Q: Does an advance fee have to go into my trust account?

A: It depends on the type. The opinion concludes an advance payment billed against as services are rendered remains the client's property and must go into the trust account until earned (Rule 1.15-2(a)); a general retainer, flat fee, or minimum fee may be treated as earned on payment and held in the operating account if the client agrees.

Q: Can I call a flat fee "nonrefundable"?

A: No. The opinion concludes that because every fee is refundable to the extent clearly excessive, calling a fee "nonrefundable" is false and misleading under Rule 7.1; use "prepaid flat fee" instead (2000 FEO 5).

Q: What is the new "minimum fee" the opinion recognizes?

A: The opinion describes it as consideration paid at the start to reserve the lawyer's services, against which the lawyer then provides legal services up to the value of the fee; it is earned on payment, may be deposited in the operating account, and is refundable only if clearly excessive.

Q: Is a general retainer the same as money toward future work?

A: No. The opinion concludes a true general retainer pays only to reserve the lawyer's availability and is not a credit for future services; mixing the two creates a hybrid fee, and absent a clear allocation the entire payment must be deposited in the trust account.

Q: Do I have to put an advance-fee agreement in writing?

A: Only contingent fees must be in writing (Rule 1.5(c)). The opinion concludes that, given how often clients misunderstand advance payments, a lawyer would be prudent to put any advance-fee agreement in writing and offers model provisions.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applies North Carolina Rule 1.5(a) and (c) (no clearly excessive fee; writing required only for contingent fees), Rule 1.15 (notably Rule 1.15-2(a) on depositing client funds in the trust account), Rule 1.4 (communication), Rule 7.1 (no false or misleading communications, applied to "nonrefundable"), and Rule 8.4(c) (honesty). These are the North Carolina analogues of Model Rules 1.5, 1.15, 1.4, 7.1, and 8.4. The opinion functions as a consolidation that reconciles and, where inconsistent, overrules prior fee opinions.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

• MR 1.5 / NC Rule 1.5(a), (c) (illegal or clearly excessive fees; writing required for contingent fees)
• MR 1.15 / NC Rule 1.15-1, 1.15-2(a) (safekeeping; depositing client funds in the trust account until earned)
• MR 1.4 / NC Rule 1.4 (communication adequate to make informed decisions)
• MR 7.1 / NC Rule 7.1 (no false or misleading communications; "nonrefundable" barred)
• MR 8.4 / NC Rule 8.4(c) (dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation)

Other opinions cited:

• NC RPC 50: a general (true) retainer reserves the lawyer's services and is not placed in the trust account.
• NC RPC 158: an advance payment is the client's property and must be held in trust; a flat fee may be earned on payment if the client agrees.
• NC 97 FEO 4: amplifies the general retainer and flat fee and recognizes hybrid fees.
• NC 2005 FEO 13: a minimum fee billed against an hourly rate remains the client's money until earned.
• NC 2000 FEO 5: "nonrefundable fee" is barred; any clearly excessive fee is refundable.

See also

• ABA Formal Op. 505: Fees Paid in Advance
• NC State Bar 2013 FEO 3: Expense Funds in Trust
• NC State Bar 2010 FEO 10: Out-of-Office Visit Fees

Source

• Landing page: https://www.ncbar.gov/for-lawyers/ethics-and-governing-rules/ethics-opinions/opinions/2008-formal-ethics-opinion-10/

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

Background:

Although there are several ethics opinions on the ethical requirements relative to the different types of legal fees that are charged and collected at the beginning of the representation of a client, the information in these opinions is not gathered in one place and the opinions appear to provide contradictory or inconsistent advice. In addition, the confusion among lawyers as to the ethical requirements for legal fees paid prior to representation has lead to poorly crafted fee agreements. In response to these concerns, this opinion sets forth the key ethical obligations when charging and collecting legal fees, surveys the opinions on legal fees, reconciles the holdings in the opinions, and provides model provisions for fee agreements that satisfy the requirements of the Rules of Professional Conduct and the ethics opinions.

Key Ethical Obligations

Regardless of the type of fee, all legal fees must meet the following standard set forth in Rule 1.5(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct:

A lawyer may not make an agreement for, charge, or collect an illegal or clearly excessive fee....The factors to be considered in determining whether a fee is clearly excessive include the following:

(1) the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly;

(2) the likelihood, if apparent to the client, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the lawyer;

(3) the fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services;

(4) the amount involved and the results obtained;

(5) the time limitations imposed by the client or by the circumstances;

(6) the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client;

(7) the experience, reputation, and ability of the lawyer or lawyers performing the services; and

(8) whether the fee is fixed or contingent.

It may be difficult to determine whether a legal fee is clearly excessive until the representation is concluded and all of the relevant factors are taken into consideration. At that point, a lawyer may be required to disgorge some portion of a fee that he or she has already collected to insure that the total fee is not clearly excessive. 2000 FEO 5. If the client's funds were deposited in the lawyer's trust account, the money is available to return to the client. If, because of the nature of the fee (see discussion below) the client funds were paid to the lawyer, the lawyer may be required to make a refund to the client using his or her own funds.

In addition to avoiding clearly excessive fees, a lawyer must deposit any funds that belong to a client in the lawyer's trust account. Rule 1.15-2(a). This means that any payment that remains the property of the client until earned, usually by the performance of legal services, must be deposited into the lawyer's trust account and may not be withdrawn without the client's consent until earned. When the lawyer is discharged, any money that remains on deposit in the trust account must be paid back to the client.

Finally, a lawyer must deal honestly and fairly with his or her clients and should give a client sufficient information to make reasonable decisions about the representation including decisions about the fee arrangement. See Rule 1.4 and Rule 8.4(c).

Survey of the Opinions

RPC 50 holds that a lawyer may charge and collect a general retainer as consideration for the exclusive use of the lawyer's services in a particular matter. Such retainers are sometimes referred to as "true retainers" because the money is paid for nothing more than the reservation of the lawyer's time; the legal services provided by the lawyer are separately compensated. The opinion distinguishes the general retainer from an advance payment as follows:

In its truest sense, a retainer is money to which an attorney is immediately entitled and should not be placed in the attorney's trust account. A "retainer" which is actually a deposit by the client of an advance payment of a fee to be billed on an hourly basis is not a payment to which the attorney is immediately entitled. It is really a security deposit and should be placed in the trust account. As the attorney earns the fee, the funds should be withdrawn from the account.

RPC 158 holds that an advance payment to a lawyer for services to be rendered in the future, in the absence of an agreement with the client that the payment is earned immediately, is a deposit securing the payment of a fee which is yet to be earned. As such, it remains the property of the client and must be deposited in the lawyer's trust account. See also 2005 FEO 13 (minimum fee that is collected at the beginning of a representation and will be billed against at a lawyer's regular hourly rate is neither a general retainer nor a flat fee; therefore, minimum fee remains the client's money until earned by the provision of legal services and must remain on deposit in the trust account until earned).

RPC 158 also holds that a lawyer may charge and collect aBI for representation on a specific, discrete legal task such as resolution of a traffic infraction. If the client agrees that the money represents a flat fee to which the lawyer is immediately entitled, the lawyer may pay the money to himself or herself or deposit the money in the firm's general operating account rather than the firm trust account. The agreement of the client that the flat fee is earned upon payment is critical. The opinion warns, however,

[w]hether the fee portion is deposited in the trust account or paid over to the operating account, any portion of the fee which is clearly excessive may be refundable to the client either at the conclusion of the representation or earlier if [the lawyer's] services are terminated before the end of the engagement.

97 FEO 4 amplifies the definitions for the general retainer and the flat fee. Both types of fees may be charged and collected at the beginning of a representation and are considered "presently owed" to the lawyer. The general retainer is "a payment 'for the reservation of the exclusive services of the lawyer which is not used to pay for the legal services provided by the lawyer.'" [Citing and quoting Rule 1.15-1, cmt.[4].] "The true general retainer finds general application in those instances where corporate clients, merchants or businessmen have a specific need to consult the lawyer on a regular or recurring basis." The opinion admonishes that a general retainer, like all other fees, must not be clearly excessive and "[w]hat is customarily charged in similar situations may determine whether a specific true general retainer is clearly excessive."

A flat fee may be earned at the beginning of the representation and is payment "for specified legal services to be completed within a reasonable period of time." "[T]his type of fee provides economic value to the client and the lawyer alike because it enables the client to know, in advance, the expense of the representation and it rewards the lawyer for efficiently handling the matter." A flat fee arrangement is "customarily identified with isolated transactions such as representations on traffic citations, domestic actions, criminal charges, and commercial transactions." The flat fee is collected at the beginning of the representation, treated as money to which the lawyer is immediately entitled, and paid to the lawyer or deposited in the lawyer's general operating account.

The opinion recognizes that a lawyer may charge a client hybrid fees. Such hybrid fees include a payment that is part general retainer or flat fee and part advance to secure the payment of fees yet to be earned. With hybrid fees, one portion of the fee is earned immediately and the other portion remains the client's property and must be deposited in the trust account to be withdrawn as earned. "There should be a clear agreement between the lawyer and the client as to which portion of the payment is a true general retainer, or a flat fee, and which portion of the payment is an advance. Absent such an agreement, the entire payment must be deposited into the trust account and will be considered client funds until earned."

With regard to an advance payment, the opinion reiterates that

[t]he funds advanced by the client and deposited in the trust account may be withdrawn by the lawyer when earned by the performance of legal services on behalf of the client pursuant to the representation agreement with the client. Revised Rule 1.15-1(d). Should the client terminate the relationship, that portion of the advance fee deposited in the lawyer's trust account which is unearned must be refunded to the client.

2000 FEO 5 prohibits the use of the term "nonrefundable fee" in fee agreements while further elucidating the differences between fees earned at the beginning of a representation and payments that are security for a fee which is yet to be earned. The opinion emphasizes that a lawyer may treat an advance payment as an earned fee (and deposit the money in the firm's operating account) "only if the client agrees that [the] payment may be treated as earned by the lawyer when it is paid." The opinion's most important paragraphs emphasize that there is a duty to refund "any portion of a fee that is clearly excessive regardless of the type of fee that was paid" and, therefore, no fee is truly nonrefundable. "To call such a payment a 'nonrefundable fee' is false and misleading in violation of Rule 7.1." However, a lawyer may agree with a client that "some or all of a fee may be forfeited under certain conditions but only if the amount so forfeited is not clearly excessive in light of the circumstances and all such conditions are reasonable and fair to the client."

Rather than calling a flat fee "nonrefundable," the opinion instructs a lawyer to refer to such a fee as a "prepaid flat fee."

The Types of Fees and Their Characteristics

Based upon the survey of the ethics opinions, these are the types of fees that are paid in advance and their characteristics:

Advance Payment: a deposit by the client of money that will be billed against, usually on an hourly basis, as legal services are provided; not earned until legal services are rendered; deposited in the trust account; unearned portion refunded upon the termination of the client-lawyer relationship.

General Retainer: consideration paid at the beginning of a representation to reserve the exclusive services of a lawyer but not used to pay for actual representation; generally used when corporate or business clients have a specific need to consult a lawyer on a regular basis; earned upon payment; paid to lawyer or deposited in firm operating account; some or all of the retainer is subject to refund if clearly excessive under the circumstances as determined upon the termination of the client-lawyer relationship.

Flat Fee or Prepaid Flat Fee: fee paid at the beginning of a representation for specified legal services on a discrete legal task or isolated transaction to be completed within a reasonable amount of time; fee pays for all legal services regardless of the amount of time the lawyer expends on the matter; if client consents, treated as earned immediately and paid to the lawyer or deposited in the firm operating account; some or all of the flat fee is subject to refund if clearly excessive under the circumstances as determined upon the termination of the client-lawyer relationship.

Hybrid Fee: fee paid at the beginning of a representation that is in part a general retainer or a flat fee and in part an advance payment to secure the payment of fees yet to be earned; one portion of the fee is earned immediately and the other remains the client's property on deposit in the trust account; client must consent and agree to the portion that is a flat fee or a general retainer and earned immediately; unearned portion of the advance payment refunded upon termination of the client-lawyer relationship; flat fee/general retainer portion subject to refund if clearly excessive under the circumstances as determined upon the termination of the client-lawyer relationship.

Reconciling the Opinions

If there is a seeming inconsistency in the ethics opinions it arises from the strict formulation of the general retainer. A lawyer is allowed to charge a general retainer as consideration for the reservation of the lawyer's services and to treat the money as earned immediately. But the client is not given a credit for future legal services up to the value of the retainer. This strikes many lawyers as detrimental to the client's interests and it has lead to the creation of hybrid fees. The strict formulation of the general retainer has been maintained by the Ethics Committee for three important reasons. It avoids the client confusion that is engendered if a client is told that a payment both reserves the lawyer's services and pays for future representation. In addition, requiring general retainers to be separate and distinct from advance fees means that, if an advance fee is charged for future legal services, there is no penalty to the client for deciding to change legal counsel before the advance fee is exhausted and, if a refund is owed to the client because expected services have not been performed, the money is readily available in the trust account.

Upon further reflection, the Ethics Committee has, nevertheless, determined that it is in the client's interest to receive legal services up to the value of a general retainer provided the client fully understands and agrees that the payment the client makes at the beginning of the representation is earned by the lawyer when paid, will not be deposited in a trust account, and is only subject to refund if the charge for reserving the lawyer's services (as opposed to the charge for the legal services performed) is clearly excessive under the circumstances. This newly acknowledged form of fee payment made by a client at the beginning of a representation will be referred to as a minimum fee and have the following characteristics:

Minimum Fee:

consideration paid at the beginning of a representation to reserve the exclusive services of a lawyer; lawyer provides legal services up to the value of the minimum fee; earned upon payment; paid to lawyer or deposited in firm operating account; some or all of the minimum fee is subject to refund if clearly excessive under the circumstances as determined upon the termination of the client-lawyer relationship.

To the extent any previous ethics opinion is inconsistent with this opinion, it is overruled.

Model Fee Provisions: Introduction

The Rules of Professional Conduct do not require fee agreements to be in writing unless the fee is contingent on the outcome of the matter. Rule 1.5(c). The fees discussed in this opinion are not contingent and technically a lawyer is not required to put a client's agreement to pay such fees in writing. Nevertheless, given the propensity of clients to misunderstand the purpose of a payment made prior to the commencement of a representation (and whether such a payment will be refunded), a lawyer would be prudent to put in writing any fee agreement that requires a client to make a payment in advance.

In addition to explaining and obtaining the client's consent to charge the specified payments prior to representation, a lawyer's written fee agreement with a client should also contain provisions that fully and clearly explain how fees and expenses are charged including, but not limited to, the following: how billable hours are calculated and the rates charged per hour for the services of the lawyers or staff members who will work on the client's matter; if some other method of billing is used, such as value billing, how the fee will be determined; and the expenses for which the client will be liable and how the cost of those expenses will be determined.

Note that the following paragraphs contain suggested or recommended language. Lawyers are not required to use these model fee provisions.

Model Fee Provisions

Advance Payment

As a condition of the employment of Lawyer, Client agrees to deposit $__ in the client trust account maintained by Lawyer's firm. This money is a deposit securing payment for the legal work for Client that will be performed by Lawyer and his/her staff. Legal work will be billed on an hourly basis [or other appropriate basis] according to the schedule attached to this agreement. Client specifically authorizes Lawyer to withdraw funds from Client's deposit in the trust account when payment is earned by the performance of legal services for Client. When the deposit is exhausted, Lawyer reserves the right to require further reasonable deposits to secure payment. Lawyer will provide Client with a [monthly, quarterly, etc.] accounting [upon request] for legal services showing the legal fees earned and payment of the fees by withdrawal against Client's deposit in the trust account. Client should notify Lawyer immediately if Client retracts his/her consent to the withdrawal of money from Client's deposit in the trust account to pay for legal services. When Lawyer's representation ends, Lawyer will provide Client with a written accounting of the fees earned and costs incurred, and a refund of any unearned portion of the deposit that remains in the trust account [less expenses associated with the representation].

General Retainer

As a condition of the employment of Lawyer, Client agrees to pay $_____ to Lawyer. This money is a general retainer paid by Client to ensure that Lawyer is available to Client in the event that legal services are needed now or in the future and to insure that Lawyer will not represent anyone else relative to Client's legal matter without Client's consent.

Client understands and specifically agrees that:

• the general retainer is not payment for the legal work to be performed by Lawyer;

• Client will be billed separately for the legal work performed by Lawyer and his/her staff. Legal work will be billed on an hourly basis [or other appropriate basis] according to the schedule attached to this agreement;

• the general retainer will be earned by Lawyer immediately upon payment and will be deposited in Lawyer's business account rather than a client trust account; and

• when Lawyer's representation ends, Client will not be entitled to a refund of any portion of the general retainer unless it can be demonstrated that the general retainer is clearly excessive under the circumstances.

Flat Fee (or Prepaid Flat Fee)

As a condition of the employment of Lawyer, Client agrees to pay $_____ to Lawyer as a flat fee for the following specified legal work to be performed by Lawyer for Client: [description of legal work]

Client understands and specifically agrees that:

• the flat fee is the entire payment for the specified legal work to be performed by Lawyer regardless of the amount of time that it takes Lawyer to perform the legal work;

• the flat fee will be earned by Lawyer immediately upon payment and will be deposited in Lawyer's business account rather than a client trust account; and

• when Lawyer's representation ends, Client will not be entitled to a refund of any portion of the flat fee unless (1) the legal work is not completed, in which event a proportionate refund may be owed, or (2) it can be demonstrated that the flat fee is clearly excessive under the circumstances.

Minimum Fee

As a condition of the employment of Lawyer, Client agrees to pay $_____ to Lawyer. This money is aminimum fee for the reservation of Lawyer's services; to insure that Lawyer will not represent anyone else relative to Client's legal matter without Client's consent; and for legal work to be performed for Client.

Client understands and specifically agrees that:

• the minimum fee will be earned by Lawyer immediately upon payment and will be deposited in Lawyer's business account rather than a client trust account;

• Lawyer will provide legal services to Client on an hourly basis [or other appropriate basis] according to the schedule attached to this agreement until the value of those services is equivalent to the minimum fee; thereafter, Client will be billed for the legal work performed by Lawyer and his/her staff on an hourly basis [or other appropriate basis] according to the schedule attached to this agreement; and

• when Lawyer's representation ends, Client will not be entitled to a refund of any portion of the minimum fee, even if the representation ends before Lawyer has provided legal services equivalent in value to the minimum fee, unless it can be demonstrated that the minimum fee is clearly excessive fee under the circumstances.