A contract between the client and attorney should contain 1) the attorney’s hourly rate; 2) the specific services the attorney is going to perform; 3) the amount of any cost deposit required and when it is to be paid; and 4) the amount charged for paralegal assistance.

A retainer agreement should be relatively brief – not more than two or three pages; have clear and specific language – not “legalese” and describe the responsibilities the client and attorney will have in working together.  The client should have time to read the contract over before signing and to have any questions he or she has answered by the lawyer.

The retainer agreement, as the starting point of representation, should set out the ground rules of the attorney/client relationship.  And the client should be able to walk away from this important meeting feeling secure and comfortable with the attorney.