Engagement Letter — extracted
Engagement letter parsed · 98% confidence
We extracted 12 billing-relevant clauses and 3 flags worth your attention. The extracted data is what every later invoice gets audited against.
Key terms
| M. Rodriguez (Partner) | $450/hr |
| K. Lin (Associate) | $280/hr |
| Paralegal (unnamed) | $175/hr |
| Clerk / admin staff | $95/hr |
- Minimum increment: 0.25h on all work (incl. email and phone)
- Retainer: $7,500 initial; replenishment at 30% balance
- Invoicing: Monthly, due net-30
- Rate increases: 90 days written notice required
Representation in Garcia v. Garcia (Superior Court, Los Angeles County). Includes: negotiation, discovery, motion practice, hearings, trial. Excludes: appeals, post-judgment enforcement, related tax counseling.
California Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program referenced. Client retains right to request arbitration under CBC §§ 6200 et seq.
Watch items
3 flagsIndustry standard is 0.1h. At 0.25h minimum, a 3-minute email costs you 12 minutes of billable time. Twelve emails = 3 hours billed for 36 minutes of work. Worth discussing at matter kickoff.
Paralegal billing is fine, but we can't verify the person. If multiple paralegals work your matter, confirm each is named in the invoice — otherwise you can't audit individual rates.
Normal. Expect replenishment requests when balance hits $2,250 (on $7,500 retainer). We'll alert you 10 days in advance based on billing pace.
What this enables
- ✓ Every invoice audited against these rates
- ✓ Rate-change detection (90-day notice enforced)
- ✓ Retainer-burn forecasts
- ✓ Scope-creep flagging if bills reference appeals or tax
- ✓ Dispute drafts cite these clauses by line