This Board, created by the Supreme Court under Rule 416, SCACR, resolves fee, cost and disbursement disputes between clients and SC Bar members, thereby providing a vital service to both the bar and public. Bar staff screens and forwards client applications to Circuit Chairs who assign the cases to local Board members.
Volunteers needed!
To volunteer or to learn more, contact Paulina Freire at pfreire@scbar.org or 803-799-6653, ext. 149.
These volunteer attorneys promptly and professionally mediate, investigate and, if need be, arbitrate the disputes, preventing billing differences from spiraling into unnecessary litigation, grievance proceedings or poor public relations. The Board currently consists of almost 200 attorneys appointed by the Bar President for staggered three-year terms collectively handling about 100 cases annually -- less than one case per member per year on average.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions by Attorneys
Frequently Asked Questions by Clients
Resources
Application for Resolution of Disputed Fee
2016 Fee Disputes CLE Materials
Fee Dispute Rules - Updated November 2022
Rules of Professional Conduct (scroll to Rule 407, SCACR)
Rule 1.5 (listing factors determining reasonableness of a fee)