Can a lawyer add an additional bonus to the legal fees paid to a client as a result of interim billing?
British Columbia, Canada
The following excerpt is from Berge Horn v. Hewson et al., 2008 BCSC 675 (CanLII):
A client is entitled to be given clear, specific and unambiguous information, regarding the cost of legal services. Yule v. Saskatoon, supra, is a case in which no interim billing was developed and it was only after the final bill was rendered that it was determined to be appropriate. That is not the case at bar. An hourly rate was agreed to and an hourly rate was paid as bills were rendered. If a lawyer and client agree to a fee on terms, those terms are binding and a lawyer is not free to vary by adding a bonus unless there is no question that the client was fully informed and aware that such a bonus would be charged.
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