Lawyer deducting doctor's fee from my time loss check

[katicabogar]

I am kind of upset what's happening again with lawyer/paralegal.

My new doctor requested a telephone conference with lawyer regarding some issues and it is scheduled for this Tuesday.
Doctor charges $275.00 for 30 minute and they billed lawyer stating payment due in advance, otherwise conference cancelled. My lawyer promtly forwarded bill to me and I just received this last Saturday.

I wrote e-mail to paralegal that I can't pay for this and she wrote me back, I am responsible for payment as I was the one who insisted on this conference(I wasn't, doctor was). But she says, if I can't make full payment, they can advance the payment and deduct it from my time-loss check, which goes to them. Right now, lawyer takes 10% from each time-loss check every two weeks. If they deduct additional $$ for this bill, I will be very stressed financially.

Is it normal? I thought when lawyer advances fees, they wait until settlement time to deduct. I just don't like it.

Kat

[backache]

Hi Kat,
I know my lawyer has not asked me to pay for anything up front, he has been paying for reports etc. He does get 20% of anything he gets for me. The ironic thing is we have a judges order from back in Dec. that he gets this fee and the IC still hasn't paid him.

[stiffnecked]

You should have all this spelled out in the contract you signed with the attorney. I agreed to pay all of my costs up front. I get them all back when we settle.

So, it could be all above board. If you want your case to move along and get settled you'll eventually have to pay for something...

[Timothy Belt]

It depends on where you live to a greater or lesser extent. Here in PA, the lawyers in the bigger cities front costs, but out here in the hicks where I live most lawyers do not front costs.

[katicabogar]

I live in a big city and I guess everyone is correct in here..it depends on the agreement. I just don't remember if the upfront cost was spelled out or not, but I know I would be responsible for consultation fee anyway. Just spoke with paralegal, we agreed $25.00 will be taken out every two weeks so I can handle that.
Thanks for the replies.

[stiffnecked]

You keep track of that though. When it comes settlement time you want to make sure it's spelled out that you already paid those costs.
I've had to point that out a time or two.

[capricorn]

my attorney also fronts any costs BUT spells out clearly in all claim petitions that we are also seeking all fees from the IC. When the Judge decided in my favor it was the IC who had to pay all court costs, DR.s fees, depo fees, etc.\\

CAP