Should lawyers provide free consultations to prospective clients? Discounts to new clients? Refunds of a consult fee to clients who ask for one? ISBA lawyers offer their opinions.
On May 3, 2007, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, affirming the Circuit Court of Cook County's judgment ordering DLA Piper to turn over funds from an advance payment retainer paid by defendant Michael Davis.
The court last month approved lawyers' use of the advance payment retainer, cautioning that more familiar retainer agreements will be the preferred option in most cases.
Does the tradition of billing by the hour push lawyers to pad bills and thus engage in the kind of "dishonest" behavior forbidden by the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct?
On December 21, 2006, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, and the Circuit Court of Cook County, striking the defendants' petition for fees.
The appellate court reversed the trial court's rejection of a plaintiff's firm's argument that its extraordinary effort justified fees that exceeded the statutory med-mal limit.
On December 1, 2005, the Illinois Appellate Court, Fourth District, reversed the decision of the Circuit Court of Menard County, which held that a contract provision stipulating that the defendant management company would be responsible for "all collection costs" allowed recovery for attorney's fees.
On August 5, 2005, the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, affirmed the decision of the Circuit Court of Cook County dismissing the plaintiff's complaint.
On March 18, 2005, the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, affirmed the Circuit Court of Cook County's decision denying a motion for declaratory judgment by the defendants.
