Legal Fees
My name is Craig Singer and I am an Attorney with offices in Quincy and Boston.
Whether you are a Plaintiff or Defendant in a Small Claims Court action, please use this area to submit your legal questions. I will reply to every email within 24 hrs; however, if you would like to speak with me, please call 781-888-5551.
Both Initial introductory telephone calls or emails are FREE.
Small Claims lawsuits aren’t so small any more. The limit for small claims actions has more than tripled from $2,000 to $7,000.
Whether you are a Plaintiff or Defendant in a Small Claims Court action, or you have been wronged in some way and don’t know if you should file a Small Claims lawsuit, now that the limit has been raised to $7,000, it is a good idea to speak with an attorney.
As noted above, initial consult is FREE; thereafter, I offer the following options:
PLAINTIFFS:
93A Demand Letter- If there has been an unfair and/or deceptive act committed by the Defendant, and a Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A Demand Letter is requested by the Plaintiff, I will draft your Demand Letter on my law office letterhead incorporating the facts you supply along with my research of applicable statutes and legal arguments relevant to your case. The purpose of the demand letter is threefold. First, it puts a business on notice of a Plaintiff's claim, and provides information about the nature of the claim. Second, it may encourage the business to negotiate, to settle the matter without the necessity of going to court, as the original claim amount can be doubled or even tripled if the purported act is found to be unfair and/or deceptive. Finally, it acts as a control on the amount of money damages that the Plaintiff may ultimately recover if the claim is proven in court. There will be a flat fee of $200 to write and mail said letter- this does not include postage for a Return Receipt Certified Mail Letter or for letter to be sent via Regular mail from the United States Postal Service.
Legal Representation- I file my appearance with the court and I will zealously represent you as your attorney in the pending small claims court matter. There will be a flat fee of only $250 for each court date appearance. Please note: there will be an additional court filing fee; however, there will be no additional charges for trial preparation, phone calls, or emails if I represent you in your small claims court matter.
FILING FEES:
$500 or less- $40
$501-$2,000- $50
$2,001-$5,000- $100
$5001-$7,000- $150
DEFENDANTS:
Legal Negotiations (Lawyer's Letter)- I will contact either the Plaintiff or the Plaintiff's Attorney as your legal counsel and negotiate a settlement on your behalf. This allows you to never be in contact with the Plaintiff or his/her Attorney. There will be a flat fee of $150 which will cover all verbal and/or written communications prior to trial date.
Legal Representation- I file my appearance with the court and I will zealously represent you as your attorney in the pending small claims court matter. There will be a flat fee of only $250 for each court date appearance. Please note: there will be no additional charges for trial preparation, phone calls, or emails if I represent you in your small claims court matter.
Please note- The initial free consultation consists of either one telephone conversation, one office visit, or one out-of-office meeting. Unless I have been retained to represent you in your Small Claims Court matter, any additional communications (phone calls, texts, emails, etc.) will be billed at a reasonable hourly rate. In addition, if your case transfers out of Small Claims Court into the District Court Civil Docket, hourly fees and court appearance fees will be increased.