Payments
Need to make a payment, refill, or add to your retainer? We’ve created a convenient payment form for you! Please read the description of each link below to confirm that it corresponds to your needs. Scroll down to view our Retainer FAQ. Learn more about our privacy policy. For billing or customer service questions, please call us at (305) 634-7790
Make a Payment
To make a payment on an invoice/bill, a vendor payment, general payment, or any other payment that is NOT adding to or refilling a retainer.
Pay Later
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Accepted Payment Methods
or eCheck
Retainer Refill
Add to or refill an existing case retainer. For a reminder on how legal retainers work, please scroll down to view our Retainer FAQ.
Need Help?
For a reminder on how legal retainers work, please scroll down to view our Retainer FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a reminder on how legal retainers work, please review the Retainer FAQ below:
What is a Retainer?
A retainer is a deposit for legal services that we place in a holding account. It remains your money until we’ve earned it. At the conclusion of your matter, any unused amounts will be refunded. For example, if you deposit $2,000.00 in retainers, and we resolve your legal matter for $1,000.00; you would then be refunded $1,000.00.
Is the Retainer equivalent to the cost of my legal fees?
No. It is important to understand that retainers are not estimations for the total legal costs associated with your matter; they are estimations for what it will cost to get to the next step based on similar situations we’ve worked with in the past. As we never know how an opposing party will respond, in good faith we cannot quote you a total cost to resolve the matter.
Is a Retainer a payment?
No, retainers are not payments; they are deposits. Funds for retainers are put in holding accounts; our firm cannot transfer these funds into our account until we have earned them. If an attorney can resolve a matter for less than the retainer, you would receive a refund for the difference. For example, if you paid $5,000.00 in retainers and the total legal costs to resolve ended up being $3,000.00, you would receive $2,000.00 back.
What is an Initial Retainer?
An initial retainer is what needs to be paid initially to sign you on as a client so the attorney can get started on your matter. However, after the attorney starts reviewing your case, they may need to increase the refillable amount, if there are any changes in complexities.
What is a Refillable Retainer?
Initial and refillable are just terms used to describe the status of a retainer. What you pay initially to get your case started is the “initial” retainer. If more funds are required to continue legal work on your case, the retainer is refilled.
How is my Retainer used?
A retainer is like a debit card. You pay into an account and that account is used for anyone on our legal team to draw funds from for various fees associated with that legal matter. The people who bill against your retainer are your specific attorney and specific paralegal, or any other paralegal who is helping in your legal matter. Our attorneys bill at $385/hr and the paralegals bill at $185/hr.
Will I know if my Retainer is getting low or needs more funds (refilled) to continue legal work?
Your retainer will be monitored closely by our attorneys and our financial team. We will do our best to notify you when funds are low. You will always get a retainer refill request when your funds have been depleted. We work on evergreen retainers, so at 50%, the retainer needs to be replenished.
Why can’t I just pay a flat fee upfront that covers all my fees?
Not all legal cases require a retainer. For example, the legal work involved in buying or selling a home (assuming it’s a normal real estate transaction) is a flat, one-time fee. However, the legal work involved in a summary or formal administration can be more complex, and it’s impossible to know 100% how other parties will react. A retainer makes it possible for your legal team to keep your case moving forward.
What does ARA stand for?
Attorney Retention Agreement. The J.O. Valentino ARA description language is as follows:
“The Client agrees to pay a retainer of $2,500.00, which will be deposited into the Law Office’s trust account. This retainer remains the Client’s property until it is earned through legal services. All fees and expenses for work performed will be deducted from the trust account, and the Client will receive an itemized billing statement every two weeks reflecting these deductions.
If the trust account balance falls below 50% of the initial $2,500.00 retainer, the Client agrees to replenish the account to the full $2,500.00 within 14 days of receiving the invoice. At the conclusion of the matter, any remaining, unearned funds will be promptly refunded to the Client.
The Law Office may request additional retainers if litigation arises. The Law Office will not engage in any litigation without authorization from the client. Any additional costs, such as filing fees or other out-of-pocket expenses will be the Client’s responsibility and will be deducted from the trust account.”
