Legal Definitions - fee statement

A fee statement is a formal document, essentially an invoice, that a lawyer provides to their client. It itemizes the legal services that have been performed or are scheduled to be performed, along with a detailed breakdown of any associated costs and expenses incurred on the client's behalf.

• Imagine a small business owner who hired an attorney to draft a new set of terms and conditions for their website. After the work is completed, the attorney sends a fee statement that lists the hours spent researching and drafting the document, the hourly rate, and a small charge for a specialized legal software used for compliance checks. This statement clearly shows the client what they are being billed for and how the total was calculated.

• Consider a couple going through a divorce who are represented by a family law attorney. Each month, their attorney sends them a fee statement. This document details the specific activities undertaken during that period, such as time spent negotiating with the opposing counsel, preparing court filings, attending mediation sessions, and any court filing fees paid on their behalf. The statement helps the couple understand the ongoing costs and the work being done in their case.

• A person seeking to trademark their new company logo might receive an initial fee statement from their intellectual property lawyer. This statement could outline a flat fee for conducting a trademark search and filing the application, along with an estimate for government filing fees. Even before all services are completed, this statement provides transparency regarding the expected costs for the legal work involved.