Work begins once a retainer is in place

Before we begin work on your matter, we ask for a retainer, which is deposited into a client trust account. As we complete work — drafting, filings, court appearances, and communication — we bill time against that balance at the rate set out in your fee agreement. Every entry is itemized, and you can review the full history in your Client Portal at any time.

Your retainer is paid through the Client Portal

There's no separate invoice, check, or wire transfer to arrange. Once you've logged into your Client Portal, your Client Trust Account page shows exactly what's due; select Make a Payment and pay securely by card, right there in the portal. If it's easier, you can also split the amount into monthly payments instead of paying it all at once.

Every payment you make — and every dollar billed against it — is recorded on that same page, so you always know exactly where your retainer stands.

Keeping your retainer funded

Your trust account balance runs down as work is completed. If it drops below $500, we pause further work on your matter until the retainer is replenished. That threshold exists to catch a low balance early — before it turns into a large, unexpected bill — not to surprise you mid-case.

Unused funds are refunded

The retainer belongs to you, not to us — it's held in trust and only drawn down as work is actually completed. Once your matter is closed and all services have been rendered, any balance still remaining in your trust account is refunded to you. There's no reason to leave funds you were never billed for sitting on account, and we don't hold onto them.

You'll see the final accounting — every entry billed against the retainer, and the resulting refund — in your Client Portal, the same place you've tracked your balance throughout the matter.

Check your balance anytime

Your current trust account balance, along with a full history of work performed and payments received, is always available in your Client Portal.

Overdrawn balances

In limited situations — such as a time-sensitive filing or court appearance that can't wait for a retainer to be replenished — your balance may go below zero before work can be paused. A balance that remains overdrawn is treated as a client debt and, consistent with your fee agreement, may be referred to a collections agency for recovery.