California Attorney Retainer Agreement

California lawyers, prepare an Attorney Retainer Agreement between you and your client with this fully editable template.

• The client’s retainer deposit will be deposited in a trust account and applied to legal fees, costs and expenses as billed.
• The rates for legal, paralegal and secretarial services are set out, as well as minimum billing units (in minutes), phone and fax charges, parking, mileage, etc.
• Either party has the right to terminate the relationship at any time, although the attorney may only withdraw with the client’s consent or for good cause, which is defined.
• The client grants the attorney a lien over any claims or amounts due to the client, including awards, judgments and settlements.
• The attorney must advise the client of any conflict of interest in accordance with the provisions of Section 3-310 of the State Bar of California Rules of Professional Conduct.
• The attorney must advise the client of the relevant provisions of California Evidence Code Section 962 governing attorney-client privilege.
• The parties agree to binding arbitration to settle any disputes arising out of the Agreement.

This California Attorney Retainer Agreement template is provided in MS Word format, and is fully editable to meet your business needs.