He’d Rather Be Stung By Killer Bees Than Deal With This Legal Bill

Charged with driving to the office, and running the air conditioner on Saturday; boasted of twenty years experience in the unfair practices area, then charged for research into unfair practices and restraining orders; grouped tasks – interviewing a witness, drafting correspondence, reading and summarizing a deposition, reviewing a file, revising correspondence to opposing counsel – in a block summary, under a single time entry (8.5 hours). Not cricket, says this California practitioner. Lawyers sell their time by the hour, so clients have a right to know exactly how that time is spent. A bill lacking detail is inadequate and invites billing fraud.