Lawyer Reprimanded for Charging $50 for Fee Reviews and Form Letters

A North Carolina lawyer has received a reprimand for billing a divorce client $50 every time he reviewed her bill and every time he sent her a form letter enclosing the legal tab.

J. Calvin Cunningham of Lexington was reprimanded in connection with his representation of a divorce client, the Dispatch reports.

The Grievance Committee of the North Carolina Bar said the $50 charges amount to “task padding” and are excessive. Reviewing the bill is an “obligation every lawyer owes to a client and is an overhead expense incidental to the practice of law,” the Feb. 12 opinion (PDF) said.

The committee also said Cunningham erred by charging his client for time spent preparing a motion to withdraw from representing her and by filing a suit to recover fees before a fee dispute resolution process had been completed.