Corporate Transparency Act Compliance

Summary

If you did not agree to the services billed, you may dispute the charges. Respond to the bill in writing, stating your concerns. If unresolved, contact the California State Bar for dispute resolution services. Keep all relevant documentation. Review the engagement letter from your case 2.5 years ago. If the past work is separate from your current issue, you could dispute the charges. The California Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers to promptly notify clients when they no longer will be representing them. You could potentially file a complaint with the California State Bar over this issue.

Full Conversation

A paralegal secretary from a legal office that I hired to restructure my company a couple of years ago sent me an alarming and intimidating email stating that I may need to file a report in order to be compliant with the new Corporate Transparency Act. I clearly stated that I wanted to know what the fees would be BEFORE I hired the firm. When I was quoted $* for the service, I stated that I could not afford this fee. There were a total of * emails from the attorney pressuring me to file. A few weeks later, I was sent a bill totaling $*.*. I never agreed to hiring these people to file for me. I have an email thread that was very clear about getting rates prior to moving forward.
Hello ****. It seems like a potential case of billing dispute. Did you ever sign an agreement with this firm detailing the scope of work and their fees?
Not recently
It's important to review any signed agreement with the firm. If you didn't agree to the services billed, you may dispute the charges. Remember:
- Communication is key. Respond to the bill in writing, stating your concerns.
- If unresolved, you may contact the California State Bar for dispute resolution services.
- Keep all relevant documentation.
They worked on case about *.5 years ago
Hello ****. In this case, you might want to review the engagement letter from your case *.5 years ago. If the past work is separate from your current issue, you could dispute the charges. Keep all email threads and consider seeking assistance from the California State Bar's Mandatory Fee Arbitration program if needed.
The attorney that worked on my intial case is no longer with firm and they failed to inform me about this.
Hello ****, the California Rules of Professional Conduct under Rule *-*(D)(*) require lawyers to promptly notify clients when they no longer will be representing them. You could potentially file a complaint with the California State Bar over this issue.