Rates and fee structures
Fees & Services
Polauf Law provides legal representation under hourly, contingency, fixed-fee, and hybrid billing structures established in writing prior to commencing work.
| Service | Employer Clients | Employee / Individual Clients |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Compliance & Pre-litigation Counsel | $325 per hour | $325 per hour |
| Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution | $350 per hour | $325/hr or contingency (33.3%–40%) |
| Contingency Fees | N/A | 35% pre-complaint / 40% post-filing (or 33.3% agreed) |
Fee Guidelines & Expenses
Litigation costs and expenses—such as court filing fees, deposition transcripts, process service, and expert fees—are separate from attorney's fees. Where costs are advanced during representation, they are reimbursed from the gross recovery or upon conclusion of the matter pursuant to the written engagement agreement.
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation fee is $325. Consultations include advance review of relevant contracts, severance agreements, or workplace records, statutory timeline audits against strict administrative deadlines, and an objective assessment of legal claims and defense exposure.
Professional Standards: Rule 1.5, Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct
Fee arrangements comply with Rule 1.5 of the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, verifying fees remain reasonable relative to matter complexity, required labor, and the nature of the representation.
Hourly Representation
Hourly matters are billed in six-minute increments (tenths of an hour). Rates are $325 per hour for compliance, counseling, and employee litigation, and $350 per hour for employer defense litigation. Clients receive monthly itemized statements detailing tasks performed and time expended. Retainers may be required for corporate defense and civil litigation.
Fixed Fees
Discrete advisory projects are offered at fixed fees agreed upon prior to commencing work. Typical flat-fee engagements include employee handbook drafting, statutory compliance audits, non-compete enforceability analyses, severance agreement reviews, and workplace policy development.
Contingency Representation
In selected employee discrimination, retaliation, and wage claims, representation is offered on a contingency fee basis. Attorney's fees are contingent upon obtaining a financial recovery; if there is no recovery, no attorney's fee is charged.
Standard contingency fee schedules:
- 35% of gross recovery: Claims resolved prior to filing a formal administrative charge or court complaint.
- 40% of gross recovery: Claims resolved after filing an administrative charge or court complaint.
- Negotiated flat percentage: Alternative rates (such as 33.3%) established by written engagement agreement.
Contingency fees are calculated from the gross recovery prior to deduction of litigation expenses. Funds are deposited into an IOLTA trust account, accompanied by a detailed accounting statement upon case resolution.
Hybrid Fee Arrangements
For matters requiring substantial preliminary factual analysis or document audit before committing to litigation, representation may be structured in two phases:
Phase One (Advisory & Pre-Suit Analysis): Billed at the hourly rate of $325 for document evaluation, claim assessment, and initial demand negotiations.
Phase Two (Litigation): If the dispute proceeds to formal administrative or judicial proceedings, representation converts to a contingency fee basis (33.3% or as established in the engagement agreement).
Client Confidentiality & Terms
Communications with prospective clients are protected under Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct Rules 1.6 and 1.18, and Connecticut General Statutes § 52-146r. Representation commences only upon execution of a formal written engagement letter.