Fees and Engagement
Hourly billing against a retainer. The rate does not depend on the outcome of the case or on which side retains me.
How engagements are billed
- Retainer. A $2,500 retainer is due before records are reviewed, and is applied against time billed.
- Record review and report preparation. $500 per hour.
- Independent medical examination. $1,750 flat, including the written report.
- Deposition. $750 per hour, two-hour minimum, billed to the party noticing the deposition and payable in advance.
- Trial testimony. $6,000 per half day and $9,500 per full day, portal to portal.
- Travel and conferences with counsel. $300 per hour, plus documented expenses.
A current written fee schedule is provided with the engagement letter, before any work begins. Ask for it with your initial inquiry, along with a note about which service you need.
An example. A record review that takes six hours and ends in a written report is billed at $3,000 against the $2,500 retainer, and the $500 balance is invoiced at the end. A deposition that runs one hour is still billed at the two-hour minimum, $1,500, to the party that noticed it.
Terms
- Itemized invoices are provided, and any unbilled retainer is refunded.
- Depositions and trial dates cancelled on short notice are billed for the scheduled time, because clinical patients have already been rescheduled to clear it.
- Scheduling runs around an active surgical practice. The more notice you can give for a deposition or trial date, the better.
- Fees are for time and expertise only. No part of any fee is contingent on the outcome of the case.
Common questions about fees
Do you work on contingency?
No. Fees are for time and expertise only, and no part of any fee depends on the outcome of the case or on the content of my opinion.
Is the first conversation billable?
No. The conflict check and the scoping conversation about whether the matter is within my expertise are not billed.
Who pays for a deposition?
Deposition time is billed to the party noticing the deposition and is payable in advance, which is the customary arrangement.
Why is a cancellation still billed?
Because clinical patients have already been rescheduled to clear the day. When a deposition or trial date is cancelled on short notice that time cannot be filled.
Can I see the fee schedule before retaining you?
Yes. A written fee schedule is provided with the engagement letter, before any work begins. Ask for it with your initial inquiry.
Start with a conflict check
Send the parties, the venue and a two-sentence description of the claim. I will confirm there is no conflict and tell you plainly whether the case is inside my expertise. There is no charge for that first conversation.