LegalAdviceZone.com

Are lawyers paid for their time driving to court?

I am suing someone who hired some very expensive lawyers to represent them in the case. The thing is that said fancy lawyers are 1.5 hour from the courthouse each way, 3 hours round trip. So I am just curious: does the person I am suing have to pay the lawyers for the 3 hours it takes for them to drive to court? Would the lawyer get paid a fraction of their hourly rate or the full rate just for driving to court? Thanks all!

Public Comments

1. They charge for mileage and time, so yes. And if the defendant wins and is awarded court costs, you will get to pay for that time traveled. I'd settle it if I were you.
2. Not unless they put it in the retainer and you agreed to it. Normally they can't charge for that unless you hired them for a job outside their normal area of practice and they told you that up front and you agreed to pay extra because you wanted them to represent them still. EDIT: Sorry, I misquoted the rule. If they charge you for travel to court while simultaneously charging another client for the same travel to court, that is considered unethical. But they still have to let you know ahead of time what they will be charging you for.
3. Oh, hell yes. I've paid thousands for that. There are tricks to reduce that: #1. Have your lawyer use his cell phone to confer with you during the drive, since you're paying for his time anyway that's a conference you won't have to pay for later. #2. Agree in advance to a flat rate for whatever service he is providing. #3. Hire a lawyer who is "right next to the courthouse".