The lifespan of a case is unpredictable. Sometimes, business litigation cases can go on for months or even years in Broward County. In the meantime, the attorney’s fees continue to pile up on both sides. In Florida, you are required to pay your own attorney’s fees. Under some circumstances, however, if you win a case in Miami, the court may allow you to ask that the losing side pay the attorney’s fees for your company lawyer or commercial litigation law firm.
- Ask your Miami attorney if you have a contractual or statutory right to request that the losing side in your case pay for your attorney’s fees.
- In a recent real estate litigation lawsuit from the Fourth District Appeal Court involving two Limited Liability Companies, the lawyers for the winning LLC were awarded over $600,000 in attorney’s fees over a two-year period. Read a free online copy of this full case opinion by clicking here.
How does the court calculate your attorney’s fees?
- One way that the court calculates attorney’s fees is by multiplying the number of hours that your attorney spent working on your case by a reasonable hourly rate for your Fort Lauderdale attorney’s services.
- You and your attorney are required to give evidence that the hourly rate for your Palm Beach attorney’s services is similar to the rates of other attorneys in the same market and that the hours your company lawyer spent on your case were reasonable.
- If your attorney requests fees for hours that were unnecessary, the court will cut those hours out of the attorney’s fee award calculation.
- On the otherhand, if the hours seem reasonable, your Orlando attorney should be paid for the hours he spent working on your case–that is, unless the losing side can point out specific reasons and examples for why your attorney should not be paid for those hours.