retainer fee
Lawyer's upfront charge
A retainer fee is an upfront payment securing ongoing access to professional services—typically from a lawyer, consultant, or other specialist.
The fee reserves the professional's availability and may be drawn down as work is performed or kept as a flat engagement cost: We paid a retainer fee to keep the attorney on call.
Distinguished from hourly billing, where you pay only for time spent.
- depositPlace for safekeeping
- advanceMove or progress forward
- upfrontDirect and honest
- attorneyLicensed legal representative
- lawyerLicensed legal representative
legal · legal services · billing · hourly · contract · service agreement · engagement · consultation · escrow · monthly · fee · invoice · client · services · ongoing · prepaid · commitment · agreement
- feesfee, service fee, service charge, flat fee, annual fee
- recurring paymentsrent, mortgage payment, car payment, loan payment, insurance premium
- legal costscourt costs, filing fee, legal expenses, litigation costs, trial costs
- Private InvestigatorsPI, private detective, detective agency, gumshoe, shamus
- incomesalary, earnings, income, wages, pay
- wageswage, salary, pay, paycheck, income
retainer feehourly billing
Payment calculated per hour
hourly rate · billable hours · contingency fee · flat fee · commission
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