Polauf Law LLC
Fees & Services
Transparent, straightforward fee structures for Connecticut employment law representation.
My Fee Guidelines
Clients are responsible for all filing fees, court costs, and other litigation expenses. These costs may include, but are not limited to, fees for expert witnesses, deposition transcripts, and court reporters. I may, at my discretion, advance certain costs on your behalf. All such advances must be repaid in full from any recovery or directly by you at the conclusion of the matter, separate and apart from my legal fees.
If I believe I may be able to assist you, I offer an initial consultation for a non-refundable fee of $325. This fee must be paid in advance. Upon receipt of payment, I will provide a link to schedule the consultation and may request that you provide relevant documentation for my review. The purpose of this consultation is to assess the facts of your situation, provide initial legal advice, and determine if my firm is the proper fit for your legal needs.
I may waive the consultation fee at my sole discretion. If the fee is waived and we proceed with a formal engagement, I may apply the fee to your first invoice. If the fee is waived and you do not retain my services, you will not be charged for the consultation. The consultation fee is $325 for all prospective clients. I reserve the right to decline any request for a consultation if I determine the matter is not a good fit for my practice, falls outside my areas of expertise, or if other factors would impede my ability to provide effective representation. All paid consultation fees are non-refundable, regardless of whether you choose to retain my services.
| Service | Corporate Clients | Individual Clients |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Consulting | $350 per hour | $325 per hour |
| Litigation | $425 per hour | $325/hr or contingency (35–40%) |
Fee Basis: Rule 1.5, Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct
My fee structures are based on the factors in Rule 1.5 of the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, including the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the legal issues, the skill required, the preclusion of other employment, the customary fee for similar services, the amount involved and results obtained, time limitations, the nature and length of the professional relationship, the experience, reputation, and ability of the lawyer, and whether the fee is fixed or contingent.
Hourly Fees
Under an hourly fee arrangement, you are billed for the time I dedicate to your matter. My hourly rates are $350 for corporate legal consulting, $325 for individual legal consulting, $425 for corporate litigation, and $325 for individual litigation. Time is recorded and billed in increments of one-tenth of an hour (six minutes).
I provide itemized invoices on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. These detailed statements show the services performed, the time spent on each task, and the corresponding charges. For many employee-side representations, a retainer is not required. However, retainers may be required for corporate defense matters or other complex litigation.
As with all fee arrangements, you are responsible for litigation costs and expenses. For any single expense anticipated to exceed $500, I will seek your approval before it is incurred where practicable. Payment for all hourly invoices is due within a few business days of receipt.
Contingency Fees
In certain matters, I offer representation on a contingency fee basis. My fee is a percentage of the gross financial recovery I obtain for you through a settlement, judgment, or other resolution. If there is no recovery, you do not owe me any attorney's fee.
My standard contingency fee is tiered. The fee is 35% of the gross recovery if the matter is resolved before a formal complaint is filed with a court or administrative agency. If the matter is resolved after a complaint has been filed, my fee is 40% of the gross recovery. The fee is always calculated from the gross amount of the recovery, before any costs or expenses are deducted.
A retainer is not typically required for standard contingency fee representations. However, you remain responsible for all litigation costs and expenses, which are separate from my percentage-based fee. All settlement funds are processed through my IOLTA trust account, and you will receive a final accounting statement at the conclusion of your case detailing the recovery, my fee, and all deducted costs. On a case-by-case basis, I may offer a single contingency rate, such as 33.3%, as set forth in a written engagement agreement.
Fixed Fees
For legal services with a clearly defined and predictable scope, I may offer a fixed fee, also known as a flat fee. This arrangement is appropriate for discrete projects such as the review of an employment contract or severance agreement, the drafting of a company policy or employee handbook, or a defined advisory project.
The total fee for the engagement is agreed upon in advance, before I begin any work. The precise scope of work and the specific deliverables are detailed in the engagement letter to ensure mutual understanding. Depending on the project, an installment payment schedule may be arranged. This model provides cost certainty for services where the time and effort required can be accurately estimated.
Hybrid Fee Arrangements
I may offer a hybrid fee arrangement for matters that require substantial pre-litigation advisory work before a decision to litigate is made. This structure combines an hourly fee for the initial phase with a contingency fee for any subsequent litigation.
Phase one of a hybrid arrangement is billed at my individual hourly rate of $325. This phase typically involves reviewing agreements, analyzing documents, assessing the viability of potential claims, and developing a negotiation strategy. You will receive monthly itemized invoices for this work, with payment due within three business days.
If the matter proceeds to litigation, such as the filing of a complaint in court or with an agency, the fee structure converts to a contingency basis for phase two. The contingency fee is typically 33.3% of the gross recovery, or as otherwise agreed in writing. Retainers are generally not required for these employee-side matters. This arrangement is offered on a case-by-case basis at my discretion when the specific facts of a case warrant this two-phased approach.
For example, a prospective client may seek representation in claims against a former employer, but may separately desire legal advice in evaluating a written job offer from a new employer, or evaluation of the applicability of a non-compete unrelated to the litigation component. A hybrid fee arrangement allows the litigation matter to proceed on contingency—the client is not responsible for hourly fees for litigation-related services—while ensuring that related, supplemental, pre-defined legal services sought by the client are included in the engagement and offered at an hourly rate.
Important Disclosures
Any information you provide as a prospective client is held in strict confidence, consistent with my duties under the Connecticut Rules of Professional Conduct, including Rule 1.18 and Rule 1.6, and Connecticut General Statutes § 52-146r.
An initial consultation involves the provision of substantive legal advice offered in contemplation of forming an attorney-client relationship. As stated above, I reserve the right to waive my consultation fee or decline a consultation request at my discretion. All paid consultation fees are non-refundable.