Just got a retainer refund after 6 months of chasing

Tbh I hired a local lawyer in Austin for a lease dispute and paid a $2,000 retainer. After the case settled in 2 months, they kept the leftover $700 for 'administrative costs' with zero itemization. I sent a polite but firm email every Friday for 6 weeks, then finally threatened to file a bar complaint. They cut me a check in 4 days. Has anyone else had to fight for unearned retainer money?

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the_terry26d ago

Yeah I had to do basically the same dance with a landlord lawyer here in Denver. They sat on $1,100 for almost 4 months after we settled, kept saying the check was "in processing" every time I called. What finally worked was sending a certified letter with a breakdown of the retainer agreement and pointing out that Colorado rules say unearned fees have to be returned promptly. Also added that I'd be happy to loop in the state bar for guidance on what "promptly" means. Check arrived 6 days later. The trick is being polite but making it clear you know the rules and you're not going away. Also keep every email, those timestamps are your friend if you do need to file a complaint.

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