Welcome to Whittington Law
Associates, PLLC
Thank you for selecting Whittington Law
Associates, PLLC as your law firm. We would like to discuss some of our
firm's operating procedures so that we will be better able to respond to
your needs. If at any time you have any questions or comments, please feel
free to contact us.
Engagement letters and
retainers. Why do we have engagement letters? The short
answer is, our insurance company requires it. However, it is also an
opportunity to clarify what we expect from each other in terms of a business
relationship. If you ever have any questions about the engagement letter,
please call us so that we can discuss them.
In most litigation cases
and other major engagements we will request a retainer based on the scope of
your project. Once we accept your engagement we become ethically obligated
to render appropriate service, and that frequently means we will spend
significant amounts of resources for you. A retainer demonstrates the
client's commitment to pay for what you ask us to do, and may help you
realize that legal assistance is not appropriate for a matter. All retainers
are placed in a segregated client trust fund until earned and are returned
to the client to the extent not used.
Invoices. We
generally invoice for fees and expenses on a monthly basis, except in
certain matters where we are awaiting completion of the project, or where we
have agreed to a contingency fee. We generally provide three kinds of fee
invoices, which also itemize reimbursable expenses.
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For most services, our fee is based on time spent
and our hourly rates, and our invoice will describe the services
rendered, the date, the time incurred, the person(s) rendering the
services, and the cost of those services. It is our intention that you
be provided as much information as you deem appropriate with respect to
the charges for our services.
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For specific standardized projects where we have
estimated a flat fee, our invoice will describe the product rendered and
state the fee.
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For contingency matters, we are required by the
professional ethics rules to enter into a written fee agreement with our
client, and the invoice will be in accordance with the particular
agreement entered. We do not charge for our time in evaluating potential
contingency cases.
We generally adjust our billing rates each
January 1. When we quote a rate to you, that rate is valid through the
calendar year. As with any billing, it is our expectation that the invoices
will be paid promptly.
Personnel. Our
principal is W.E. "Ned" Whittington. He is licensed in New Hampshire and
Vermont. More information on Ned Whittington is set
forth in our firm resume. Please feel free to contact Ned Whittington or our
office manager/paralegal, Fadia Williamson, at any time.
Other Firm Materials.
Please contact our office manager, Fadia Williamson, or visit our website at
www.whittington-law.com, if you would like any of the following information
relating to the firm:
Firm resume, with attorney profiles Business
Health Check Press reports
concerning Mr. Whittington’s cases Reported cases
Excerpt from Mr. Whittington's U.S. Supreme Court argument
Mr. Whittington's articles comparing U.S. and German litigation, business,
and tax (in German or English)
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