"I just got my first bill from my lawyer and I do not understand it!"

Solution: Call him or her and ask them to explain it! If you got a bill from the contractor who is fixing up your kitchen and it did not make sense you would call, would you not? So why not do the same when it comes to your lawyer's invoice? Unless you ask, you will not know the answer and your lawyer will not know there are questions. Be fair to him or her and to yourself.

The billing process and, in fact, all aspects of your relationship with your lawyer have to be transparent and you have to be able to understand what is being done, why and how you are being charged for it. If you do not ask when you get the first bill, the questions will fester (trust me) and by the time you get your second bill and the third, you may be too embarrased to ask since it will be clear that you should have asked sooner.....if you do not want to ask your lawyer, contact their assistant or even the billing clerk at their office - they should be in a position to answer at least some of the questions. All questions they cannot answer should be posed to the lawyer.