伦理意见267

Disclosure of Billing Practices: Billings Based on Time and “Attorney Charge”

当客户被告知他将按时间计费时, 收取未向客户披露且未按披露基础计算的额外费用是违反《澳门赌场官网》的. 拟议的“澳门赌场官网费”计费程序不违反《澳门赌场官网》，即客户被告知可能处理其事务的澳门赌场官网的每小时收费, 他会得到一个估计总收费的范围，以及在某些情况下可能超出该范围的声明.

适用的规则

• 规则1.5(费用
• 规则7.1(a)(1)(关于澳门赌场官网服务的通讯)
• 规则8.4 (c)(行为)

调查

询问者要求就以以下两种假设的计费做法中所述的方式向客户收费是否符合道德规范提出意见.

1. 时间基础和价值计费实践

公司客户会收到一份书面收费表. 时间表列出了收取统一或标准费用的事项，并确定了将按“时间基础”收费的其他事项.” The schedule does not identify the “time basis” rates that will be applied. When work is performed on a time basis, the client receives a statement for “services rendered.” The statement gives only a brief generic description of these services. It then specifies an amount for services, a separate amount for expenses, and a total.

The amount charged for services may incorporate a number of different charges, 除了负责澳门赌场官网的时间费用外, i.e.即实际处理此事的澳门赌场官网. 在一种情况下, “服务”金额包括一笔固定费用，在公司内部称为管理费或处理费. 该费用可能相当于收费时间的10-20%, depending on the number of hours worked by the responsible attorney. The statement also may include a levy that is based on the hourly rate of the originating attorney (i.e., 将客户带到公司的澳门赌场官网)，尽管这可能并不反映该澳门赌场官网在该问题上实际工作的时间. In still other instances, the firm may employ a procedure it characterizes as “value billing.根据这个程序, 在负责澳门赌场官网收取的“时间基础”费用中，可额外收取20-200%的费用。这笔额外的费用包含在客户账单的服务部分.

在所有情况下, the client is not informed that he is being charged for services on other than a time basis. 额外收费, 是否在内部被描述为行政费用, 处理费或价值溢价, 在声明中没有指明或解释, 它们被加到语句中, 不管有多少时间, 如果有任何, that the originating attorney may actu所有y have expended on the matter.

2. “澳门赌场官网费”依据

In a different billing arrangement, the client receives a letter enclosing a written fee schedule. 附表列出了收取固定或标准费用的事项，并确定了将以“澳门赌场官网费”为基础收取费用的其他事项或程序类型.

The letter explains the firm’s procedures for handling client matters, e.g., 它指出，发起诉讼的澳门赌场官网审查并将收到的事项转发给负责的澳门赌场官网，发起诉讼的澳门赌场官网的秘书进行检查，以确保工作及时进行. The letter then explains the manner in which fees are calculated for certain types of work. In particular the letter provides that the fees charged for this particular type of work will take into account the effort involved; the expertise and efficiency of the responsible attorney; whether the matter is handled on an expedited basis; and the originating attorney’s charge for supervision or administration. (This charge is not based on time, 如果有任何, worked by the originating attorney.) The letter further advises that the resulting fee will be within a general range, e.g., $800-$2000, 但它可能会更高，这取决于问题的复杂性，以及是否存在需要非同寻常的时间和努力的问题.

讨论

上述假设的计费做法提出了两个问题:澳门赌场官网有义务告诉客户什么(1)他们收取的费用, 及(2)该等费用的计算方式? 规则1给出了答案.5, 7.1(a)(1)和8.4(c) of the 职业行为准则 (referred to hereinafter as “规则”). 在目前的情况下, the time basis and value billing practices described in section 1 above violate the 规则. The billing practices described in section 2 are gener所有y adequate, 尽管在某些情况下, 他们也可能违反规则.

1. 时间基础和价值计费实践

规则8.4(c)

本委员会以前曾指出, 当澳门赌场官网给客户开账单时, 不应该有隐藏的含义.” 看到 意见没有. 185，适用DR 1-102(A)(4)(规则8的前身).4)一个类似的计费问题. 这条简单的法则同样适用于即时质询. In the scenario presented, the client is informed that he will be billed on a “time basis.这个术语通常被理解为账单是用工作小时数乘以每小时收费来计算的. 相应的, 当客户端接收到一条语句时, 客户有权期望所收取的费用将反映澳门赌场官网费实际花费在法律工作上的时间. 包括不明的行政或处理费用, or any other unspecified or “value” billed levies that are not calculated on the agreed basis, 违反了规则8的禁令.4(c) against engaging “in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.”

规则7.1(a)(1)

The ethical impropriety of the hypothetical billing procedures is reinforced by 规则7.1(a)(1). 规则7.我统治”所有 关于澳门赌场官网服务的通讯.” 看到 规则7.1、评语[1](加注). It provides that “a lawyer sh所有 not make a false or misleading communication about . . . “澳门赌场官网的服务”，并明确规定，如果信息包含“重大失实陈述”，则属于虚假或误导 . . . or omits a fact necessary to make a statement considered as a whole not materi所有y misleading. . . . 规则7.1. 对规则的评论指出，必须确保关于澳门赌场官网服务的陈述准确无误.

On the facts presented, the information given to the client is inaccurate and misleading. The bill is not based on time expended, and it does not apprise the client of this fact. 客户肯定被误导了，因为账单没有区分公司的时间费用和客户未被告知的其他费用. It merely describes the attorney’s fees and other assorted surcharges as “services.“客户端, 从而, 只能假设, 可预见的和错误的, that the total is calculated on the basis that was disclosed to him.

规则1.5(b)

规则1.5 recognizes that attorneys’ fees may be calculated in many different ways. The Committee is not commenting here on the concept of “value billing.”¹ 而, the question at issue is whether the attorney properly may impose a premium that is not time based, 当保费未向客户披露时, and is contrary to the manner in which the client was told his bill would be calculated. 美国澳门赌场官网协会正式意见93-379. (1993年第3期)在类似情况下得出结论:

不用说，一个澳门赌场官网如果承诺按小时收费，那么他向客户收取没有实际花费的时间是不合理的. 如果澳门赌场官网同意在此基础上向客户收费(i.e., 每小时), and it turns out that the lawyer is particularly efficient in accomplishing a given result, 然而，不允许向客户收取超过实际花费的时间. 当客户同意该计费基础时, the economies associated with the result must inure to the benefit of the client.

看到 ABA / BNA法律. 男人。. 在教授. 行为§1001:207,213. 本委员会同意这一结论.

规则1.第5(b)条规定，“未定期代表客户”的澳门赌场官网应就客户将被收取的费用的“基准或费率”提出书面意见. 《澳门赌场官网》假定，定期代表客户的澳门赌场官网将达成“关于收费基础或费率的谅解”,” i.e., the lawyer is not expressly required to provide such a client with written advice. 看到 规则1.评论[1]. 因此, 所有客户, 无论是新的还是现有的, 是否接受口头或书面收费建议, 是否有权知道收费的基准或费率.

The information provided to the Inquirer’s hypothetical clients does not satisfy this requirement. 术语“时间基础”根本不是一个适当的描述. 哪里的收费是按小时计算的, the client is entitled to know the rate or range of rates applicable to his work. 在什么情况下收费是按时间以外的因素计算的, 比如, 包括额外的行政或处理费用, the attorney has an obligation to explain the basis of that fee—what the fee is for, 以及它是如何计算的. Moreover, the client must be accorded an appropriate opportunity to consider this information.

询问有关费用和帐单事宜, 本委员会已举行, 反复, that the attorney owes his client the “utmost duty of candor and fair dealing” (意见没有. 185); that “the attorney bears the responsibility for seeing that there is no misunderstanding as to fee arrangements. (意见号. 4, 25, and 29); and that, when a lawyer seeks to impose “atypical requirements in a fee agreement, . . . 澳门赌场官网必须在提交协议时明确提请当事人注意此事.意见No. 211. 我们重申这些指导原则，并得出结论, 关于即时询问, 他们被侵犯了.

2. “澳门赌场官网费”依据

Unlike “time basis” or value billing, the term “attorney charge” has no widely understood meaning. In the example posed in the inquiry, the letter to the client does supply some explanatory detail. 它指出，在收费表中称为“澳门赌场官网费”的事项的费用将考虑到规则1中列出的几个因素.5(a)和管理费或处理费. 另外, 它给出了一系列可能的成本，并给出了建议, 在特殊情况下, 可能会超过这个范围.

规则1.5(b)

The ethical propriety of the “attorney charge” billing practice is determined by reference to 规则1.5(b). 委员会在这方面的结论的前提是，寄给客户的信件准确地描述了计算费用的方式. If the letter does not accurately describe the firm’s billing practices, 规则 8.4(c)和7.1(a)(1) would also apply, for the same reasons that were discussed in Section 1 above.

客户函中包含的信息，i.e., 可能处理客户事务的澳门赌场官网的时薪, 估计总收费的范围, 还有一个警示性的声明, 在某些情况下, 可能会超过这个范围, 满足规则1.5(b) requirement that there be a clear communication of the basis or rate of the fee. 它为客户提供了一个充分的基础，以决定他是继续追究此事还是聘请特定的澳门赌场官网. 关于信中建议，对于异常复杂或耗时的事项，可能会超出估计的费用范围, 应该指出的是，澳门赌场官网有持续的义务确保客户对费用的基础或费率有明确的了解. 当成本估算变得非常不准确时, 应向客户提供修订后的估价.” 看到 规则1.评论[1].

调查没有. 95-6-22
通过:1996年9月18日

1. The Committee also is not commenting on the reasonableness, under 规则1.5(a), of the ultimate sum that a client may be asked to pay under the firm’s value billing calculation, 或者是其他未指明的附加税的结果.