Hourly Rates: Alternate Fee Arrangement for All Practices

---

The determination of the need for legal services and the choice of a lawyer are extremely important decisions and should not be based solely upon advertisements or self-proclaimed expertise. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Iowa. Memberships and offices in legal fraternities and legal societies, technical and professional licenses, and memberships in scientific, technical and professional associations and societies of law or field of practice do not mean that a lawyer is a specialist or expert in a field of law, nor do they mean that such lawyer is necessarily any more expert or competent than any other lawyer. All potential clients are urged to make their own independent investigation and evaluation of any lawyer being considered.  
No attorney-client relationship is formed by using this website or prior to (unless and until) a written representation or unbundled service agreement is executed.  Please do not send any information or materials that you wish to remain confidential and/or subject to any privilege to any attorney through this site until you have been approved for an intake and new client consultation, at which point requested information will be treated consistent with the rules of professional responsibility pertaining to prospective clients. The Rules and Privileges for Current and then Former Clients will only attach if and when a written representation or unbundled service agreement has been executed.
Consistent with the Iowa Rules of Professional Responsibility, all online payments collected by this office as a deposit for prospective services or expenses will be via the LawPay Clearinghouse and will be deposited into a Client Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA), where it will remain sequestered until the fee is earned and/or the expenses are incurred per the terms of the service agreement (hourly fees are earned as those hours are spent, even if the matter is ongoing; fixed fees are not earned until the work is complete or the fee is forfeited due to client-initiated termination of the attorney-client relationship or cancellation after substantial work has been performed or I have made reasonable reliance to my detriment, or due to service agreement prohibited client insistence on some action or inaction that I reasonably deem to violate the law or the Iowa Rules of Professional Responsibility).  Clients are entitled to an accounting of funds debited from IOLTA deposits on request.  Net Interest Proceeds from Funds in an IOLTA are donated to a state fund to sponsor legal aid for indigent persons.  Payments for services that do not need to be scheduled to a fixed timeslot may alternatively be made by check or money order, which would be deposited into the Client IOLTA account similarly.  All Rates and Prices Quoted on this Website Must Be the Net Receipt into the IOLTA and Do Not Include Third-Party Clearinghouse Processing Fees For the Method of Payment Used, If Any.  Those Fees Should Be Treated as an Immediately Incurred and Nonrefundable Expense, Not an Attorney Fee.