What constitutes excessive legal fees?

Excessive legal fees are primarily characterized by overreaching by lawyers. This refers to situations where a lawyer's fees are not only unreasonably high but also exploitative, potentially taking advantage of a client's lack of knowledge or bargaining power. The legal profession requires that fees must be reasonable and justify the value of the services provided, taking into account factors such as the complexity of the case, the lawyer's experience, and the outcome achieved.

While fees agreed upon at the start of a case can set an expectation, they can still be considered excessive if they turn out to be unjustifiable even after the agreement is made. Similarly, fees that are merely higher than average might not necessarily indicate overreaching or unreasonableness if they are supported by appropriate justification. Fees based on results achieved, commonly known as contingency fee arrangements, are permissible in certain cases, but they must still be reasonable. Therefore, the essence of excessive legal fees lies in whether there was an element of overreaching involved in determining what the client is being charged.