Your Retainer/Trust Deposit

Clients often know of retainers. You might have heard about retainers on T.V. or in the movies. This page seeks to expand on your knowledge of retainers and how a better understanding can help The Newby Law Office better represent you during the term of our Attorney-Client relationship. If you have any questions regarding this page, please contact your attorney.

What’s A Retainer?

Simply put, a retainer is a charge that the client pays upfront to an attorney before the attorney has begun work for the client. That money stays in the client’s trust account. The money in a client’s trust account is still the client’s money until the attorney bills the account. The attorney deducts the client’s bill from the retainer instead of sending the client a bill each month. Even though the client will not receive an unpaid bill each month, the client will receive a statement detailing how their trust account was billed. It is the client’s obligation to ensure that there is money in their trust account. Some engagement letters require a minimum amount of funds to be in the trust account so please review those requirements before signing the engagement letter.

What’s A Trust Account?

When you first sign up with The Newby Law Office, you should receive an email about paying a “trust request”. The trust account is the bank account where your retainer is stored. The amount of your trust request is discussed in your engagement letter. Your trust request will be based on your hourly rate and the estimated time to begin working on your case.

Will I need to refill my trust account?

Unless your case is a flat rate, then you will likely need to replenish your trust account. To determine whether you need to add money to your account, review your monthly bill. Your bill should state how much money is left in your trust account. Your engagement letter may require a certain amount to be in your trust account. Please make sure you refill your trust account after you receive your bill each month. 

An accounting of how the attorney spends time on your case will be on your bill, which should be issued on the last Monday of every month or at your request.

How can I place more money in my trust account?

You can pay your retainer or place more money into your trust account by: (1) visit www.newby-law.com/clients and push the "CLICK TO DEPOSIT MONEY INTO YOUR TRUST ACCOUNT" button located under the "How to Pay a Retainer" section; or (2) request a link from the attorney via email; or (3) follow the link in the email with your bill.

Will I get my retainer back?