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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Add to this excellent advice below, my wife who was my legal assistant after we were married always reminded me that people are happiest to pay when they need you to agree to represent them. Get it up front or don’t take it. That has worked great for me for 30 plus years. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Tom</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Thomas J. Westbrook</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Attorney at Law</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"><img width="193" height="67" style="width:2.0083in;height:.7in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D7AEFC.4FA34250"></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Rodgers Kee Card & Strophy, P.S.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">324 West Bay Drive NW, Suite 201</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Olympia, Washington 98502</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Phone: 360-352-8311</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Facsimile: 360-352-8501</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Email: </span><span style="color:#1f497d"><a href="mailto:tjw@buddbaylaw.com"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">tjw@buddbaylaw.com</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Skype: thomas.westbrook</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"><a href="http://www.buddbaylaw.com/" target="_BLANK????"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">www.buddbaylaw.com</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">The information contained in this email and attachment(s) are for the exclusive use of the addressee(s) and may contain private, privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the addressee, you are strictly prohibited from reading, photocopying, distributing or otherwise using this email or its contents in any way. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone at 360-352-8311 or by e-mail to <a href="mailto:reception@buddbaylaw.com"><span style="color:blue">reception@buddbaylaw.com</span></a>, and destroy the original message from your electronic files.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:red">COVID-19 UPDATE:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#1f497d">s</span><span style="color:#1f497d"> Rodgers Kee Card & Strophy will no longer maintain “open” hours at the physical office. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#1f497d">s</span><span style="color:#1f497d"> All the staff is working remotely. We are routinely monitoring our voice mail and email, which is</span><span style="color:#00b0f0"> </span><span style="color:#1f497d">the best way to communicate during this period. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#1f497d">s</span><span style="color:#1f497d"> We are still taking new clients but consultations will be telephonic or via video conferencing, and any in-person meetings will be by appointment and only if necessary to execute documents. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#1f497d">s</span><span style="color:#1f497d"> Please provide necessary documents to us by scan and email, where possible, or by mail if not. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:red">s</span><span style="color:red"> We anticipate these changes will be effective for the foreseeable future. We are doing everything we can to maintain the level of service and professionalism we’ve always provided, even in the face of this public health crisis. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. We look forward to the soonest possible return to full operations and continued service to our clients.</span><span style="color:#1f497d"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Stephen Brandli<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 21, 2021 9:47 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] when you don't get paid</p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Practicing in a small, rural county, we are constantly making choices about advance fee deposits and collections. These choices are hard. I too want people to be able to afford representation, but of course I run a business. Over time, we have developed policies to make it easier for us to make these choices. However, our policies are still not tight enough, and we still constantly make individualized choices. In my career, I have sued for nonpayment only twice: one particularly egregious case and in one case where the client was going to get money paid out of the divorce and I wanted the judgment to attach to the residence.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">I can only offer the following:</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in">The fee agreement should provide for collection costs including attorney fees. It should also provide for interest on unpaid invoices. Ours is 12% or the maximum provided by law, whichever is less. I have never farmed out collection, but I want the option to do so.</li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in">We expressly waive interest in two situations: (1) Before the end of the case when we expect the client to get money at the end of the case to pay us; (2) After the end of the case when the former client enters into a payment plan with us, in which case the waiver is conditioned on successfully completing the parenting plan.</li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in">If possible, find a staff member who is good at collections. It requires a certain fortitude, a friendly demeanor, and persistence. I am lucky that my wife fills that role and is good at it. But she sometimes works very hard at collections.</li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in">Don’t take cases in which you have a low expectation of being paid unless you are okay with that. If you are okay with that, I suggest offering a low-bono rate and enforcing it (unless circumstances change that cause you to wish to help out even more). We have a fairly strict policy on low-bono cases and don’t take cases that do not meet our criteria and for which we are unlikely to be paid.</li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in">Sue only in the egregious cases, i.e. someone is truly stiffing you.</li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in">When you’re doing your business budgeting, expect a certain amount of uncollectible debt. In our case, this uncollectible debt comes in cases in which circumstances change such that the client cannot pay when we thought they could. Just part of the cost of doing business and also the cost of meeting our ethical principles.</li></ol><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">I hear a lot of advice to avoid suits due to potential bar complaints. If someone is unsatisfied with your work, you should resolve the issue or cut the client loose quickly. Those circumstances may suggest writing off whatever is owed. But I am not afraid to sue in egregious cases even if that is going to attract a bar complaint.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> Steve </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Diane J. Kiepe<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 21, 2021 9:17 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] when you don't get paid</p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Hello all, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt">I have been struggling with the issue of not getting paid and just writing things off. I am often willing to advance my time and I know, I know, I have no one to blame but myself. I currently have about 4 people who owe relatively small amounts but one case that I think will owe me close to 10K when all is said and done. I am not sure I can continue to represent the party and cannot afford to write this amount off. It was in the context of a probate but my engagement letter clearly states the PR is responsible for the fees. The PR is expected to inherit dirt worth substantially more than the amount owed to me but not through the probate but from the same decedent. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt">I’m just curious if any of you have any thoughts to share for me. In my 17 years I have had very few no-pays but as my practice grows this problem seems to grow. I hate to insist on a retainer because I completely understand that some families are relying on the probate/trust assets to pay. I am really just struggling and appreciate any thoughts or directions.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Sincerely, Eeyore, I mean Diane. </span><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif">😉</span><span style="font-size:16.0pt"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Script MT Bold"">Diane J. Kiepe</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Script MT Bold""> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Diane J. Kiepe</p><p class="MsoNormal">Douglas Eden</p><p class="MsoNormal">717 W. Sprague Ave.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Suite 1500</p><p class="MsoNormal">Spokane, WA 99201</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:djkiepe@depdslaw.com">djkiepe@depdslaw.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">509-455-5300</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></body></html>