Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Unethical Business Practices: Legal Overbilling
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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 6 page paper discusses the practice of overbilling in the legal profession. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVovrbil.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
to many sources, is more common in the legal profession than might be thought; in fact it is pervasive. This begs the question, why is it done so often? And
is it a deliberate, unethical act to "bilk" clients, or is something else going on. On this question, Joe Jones, a CPA and publisher of the Mississippi Business Journal said,
"The subject of overbilling is more difficult than malpractice ... There is really no objective standard of fairness with respect to professional fees" (Jeter, 2001, p. 14). Trial attorneys can
make "tens of thousands of dollars an hour when judgments are rendered. Absent a contract for professional services ... it is difficult to determine what is unreasonable" (Jeter, 2001, p.
14). While most professional service people, which include attorneys, doctors and the like, are very careful to keep their bills reasonable at times they seem excessive, and there are
several reasons for this (Jeter, 2001). First, the firm may be inefficient in its billing practices; second, the services rendered may not be valuable to the client because they did
not help the situation; third, the firm "may have placed a premium on the fees for what they perceive as value of the services and that view many not be
shared by the client" (Jeter, 2001, p. 14). When a client perceives that he or she has been overbilled, it is often because there has been poor communication with
the firm (Jeter, 2001). Before entering into any contract, clients should ask the firm to explain clearly exactly what they will be charged, and how those charges will be presented
(Jeter, 2001). When the services being provided are routine, such as drawing up simple wills, the firm should be able to provide a fee schedule that will reflect the actual
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