If there is no agreement between the lawyer and client before addressing the case, the parties may encounter problems when the case has concluded. Generally, in cases where there is a dispute over fees between the lawyer and client, as a result of the absence of a legal fee agreement, the court will rule in favor of the client. The lawyer is in a stronger position to understand the ramifications of not having a fee agreement as opposed to the client, thus placing more of a responsibility on the lawyer in the eyes of the court. In addition, it is important to draw up a new legal fee agreement for each phase of the case. Agreements do not carry over from preliminary casework to appeals, so it is important to have a clear, particular agreement signed again for each new phase of the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also cases in which the court will grant the payment of legal fees as part of the judgment. As a default rule, these fees are given to the defendant, who can then use this money to pay for the rendered legal services. However, the parties may wish to agree ahead of time that the awarded fees will be paid out to the legal representation team, to simplify the process. In this case, the legal fee agreement will include a clause that awarded legal fees will be paid to the lawyer, and this agreement will be presented to the court. If such an agreement has been signed, it will likely limit payment disputes between a lawyer its client, further proving its significance. <\/span><\/p>\n