Lawyers have an ethical obligation to charge only reasonable and not excessive fees. The method used to collect fees is one of the things to consider. Attorney fees refer to the compensation that attorneys charge for legal services. The cost will vary depending on the lawyer's experience, location, and type of service.
Because attorney fees only cover the time and work of a legal professional, additional fees, such as court costs and administrative expenses, will be additional. In any lawsuit brought against a defendant, to the extent that the defendant has met the standards set out in section 11112 (a) of this title and the defendant substantially prevails, the court, at the end of the action, will award to the substantially winning party defending any such claim the cost of the lawsuit attributable to that lawsuit, including reasonable attorney fees, if the lawsuit or the plaintiff's conduct during the litigation of the lawsuit was initiated volatile, unreasonable, without foundation or in bad faith. For the purposes of this section, a defendant will not be considered to have substantially prevailed when the plaintiff obtains compensation for damages or permanent injunctive or declaratory relief. The maximum rate allowed by law will not be allowed automatically.
Rather, when the court sets the rate, it must determine and allow reasonable rates within the limits set by Congress. The amount of attorneys' fees is generally determined by multiplying the reasonable number of hours spent on a case by the reasonable hourly rate at which the lawyer must be compensated. When attorney fees are awarded to the government, the hourly rate must be in accordance with the schedule set out in the March 31, 1993 memorandum addressed by Michael J. Roper, Assistant Attorney General and Comptroller, to all financial officers (as amended or updated periodically).