Lueder, Larkin & Hunter, LLC

Our billing options for community association clients include our Retainer Option, Modified Retainer Option, Non-Retainer Option, and Declarant Control Retainer Option.

Retainer Option

This has been our standard Retainer Option since the inception of the firm. The annual retainer fee is $960.00 and is for services from January 1 to December 31. For associations that become a new client during the year, the retainer fee is prorated at $80.00 per month for the remainder of the first year the association becomes a new client. The Retainer Option includes the following benefits:

1. Reduced Hourly Rates. Retainer clients receive a reduced rate of $190.00 per hour for each of our attorneys and $90.00 per hour for our paralegals. Non-Retainer rates and Modified Retainer rates are discussed below.
2. Unlimited Telephone Conversations and Consultations. We will engage in unlimited telephone conversations and consultations with board members and the association's manager, if any, without charging fees.
3. Meeting with the Board of Directors (or Customized Board Training Seminar). An attorney will meet with the board of directors at the location of your choice without charging attorney’s fees on a once per year basis during business hours Monday through Friday or evening hours Monday through Thursday. If the meeting is at our firm’s location, the association will receive a $100.00 credit. The board meeting may address any legal or practical matter or may be used as a customized training seminar.
4. Collections. Results-based collections of unpaid assessments pursuant to our Common Sense Collections, including deferred fees for liens and collection litigation that are generally not paid until we collect.

Modified Retainer Option

This is a new retainer option introduced in the latter part of 2008. The annual retainer fee is $840.00 and is for services from January 1 to December 31. For associations that become a new client during the year, the retainer fee is prorated at $70.00 per month for the remainder of the first year the association becomes a new client. The Modified Retainer Option includes the following benefits:

1. Reduced Hourly Rates. Modified Retainer clients receive a reduced hourly rate of $190.00 per hour for each of our attorneys and $90.00 per hour for our paralegals for non-collection work. For collection work, Modified Retainer clients receive a greater reduced rate of $150.00 per hour for each of our attorneys and $50.00 per hour for our paralegals.
2. Unlimited Telephone Conversations and Consultations. We will engage in unlimited telephone conversations and consultations with board members and the association's manager, if any, without charging fees.
3. Meeting with the Board of Directors (or Customized Board Training Seminar). An attorney will meet with the board of directors at the location of your choice without charging attorney’s fees on a once per year basis during business hours Monday through Friday or evening hours Monday through Thursday. If the meeting is at our firm’s location, the association will receive a $100.00 credit. The board meeting may address any legal or practical matter or may be used as a customized training seminar.
4. Collections. Collections of unpaid assessments pursuant to our Common Sense Collections, including attorney’s fees are not deferred for collection lawsuits but are greatly reduced to $150.00 per hour for attorneys and $50.00 per hour for paralegals. For liens, the Association may select to have the attorney’s fees deferred at $235.00 per lien or not deferred at $135.00 per lien.

The Modified Retainer is, in essence, the same as the standard Retainer Option discussed above but with three differences: (1) reduced annual fee; (2) non-deferred fees for collection lawsuits at greatly reduced rates; and (3) a choice of deferred or non-deferred fees for liens.

Non-Retainer Option

Our rates for Non-Retainer clients are $235.00 per hour for each of our attorneys and $120.00 per hour for our paralegals. (Retainer clients thus receive a reduction of $45.00 per hour for attorneys and $30.00 per hour for paralegals, and for collections, Modified Retainer clients receive a reduction of $85.00 per hour for attorneys and $70.00 per hour for paralegals.) Collections of unpaid assessments will be conducted pursuant to our Common Sense Collections, including deferred fees for liens, but not collection litigation.

Declarant Control Retainer Option

We offer a specialized Retainer option available only to associations that are still under Declarant control. Under this specialized Retainer, the association will receive the same reduced hourly rates as our regular Retainer clients of $190.00 per hour for each of our attorneys and $90.00 per hour for our paralegals, plus unlimited telephone conversations and consultations with the manager and any board members, plus deferred fees for liens and collection litigation under our Common Sense Collections. The Declarant Control Retainer does not, however, include an attorney attending a board meeting at no charge. The annual retainer fee under this option is $480.00, which is half the amount of our regular Retainer Option, and is for services from January 1 to December 31. For a Declarant controlled association that becomes a new client during the year, the Declarant Control Retainer is prorated at $40.00 per month for the remainder of the first year the association becomes a new client.

Legal Aid Services

Contact Christina Bennett at for details on our rates and services.