Billing

My normal practice is to bill on an hourly basis. However, in order to keep an open criteria, and always looking to render a service adequate to each customer, there is always the possibility of finding other settlements on a case per case basis.

The fees established in the following chart do not include expenses and are limited to those services rendered within Mexico City.

All and any service rendered other than in the above mentioned cities will, of course, render travel and transportation expenses, at the very least.

Costs in the following chart will expire through March, year 2004. Al amounts are expressed in Mexican Pesos, unless otherwise indicated:

The above listed fees are subject to the corresponding taxes, especially, the Value Added Tax. Unless otherwise agreed, the above mentioned prices will serve as basis for any and all charges.

More information relating the depth and reach of each matter listed will be given upon request.

Expenses Expenses will always be billed separately. The following categories will be understood as expenses: Travel and transportation expenses (when the service should be rendered in a different location from that specified); Long distance calls; Extraordinary stationery expenses; Photocopies (xeroxes); Non-supported expenses; Any and all disbursement in favor of a third party, resulting necessary and directly related to and for the undertaking or completion, or the undertaking and completion, of any given case in any of its stages, procedural or other, supported or unsupported and understood not to be a part of the normal or extraordinary expenses related to the general practice of the renderer of the service.

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Other billing methods

Having analyzed the various billing methods, by trying them myself or, through the observation of my colleague's practice, I have concluded that the most favorable method, both for the lawyer and the client, is based upon hourly fees. (Common practice in the United States of America).

quota litis

Billing based upon a percentage of the recovery in a determined case. Widely used in Mexico in Mercantile collection; Property related litigation; and Tax litigation, where the percentage is calculated on the savings over the credit.

Retainers (Igualas)

Method based on a periodical fixed amount, agreed upon between the attorney and his client.

Expenses

For all the mentioned billing methods, it is common practice to charge for expenses separately.

 

Each practice has it's own way of understanding expense concepts. The most common categories are the following:

• Transportation and travel expenses (when the service is rendered in a different place from the one where the lawyer has his usual practice);

• Long distance calls;

• Extraordinary stationery expenses;

• Photocopies (xeroxes);

• Non-supported expenses.