Is it normal for a lawyer to bill you for the time he spent increasing his fees?

OMG That's terrible. D:

What's a bit ironic here is that this was my mother's attorney. Of all the dang things. She has a legal guardian (me) because she has vascular dementia and has been deemed mentally incompetent as a result. i.e. She cannot make sound decisions of her own accord, so she needs oversight. She's broke and is on disability. Yet, she had the lawful right to retain an attorney and try to have me removed as her guardian, purely because she didn't want one anymore. Fine, whatever. I played ball. I jumped through the hoops. I had her assessed and the attorney told her she would be stuck with a guardian. I paid him and thought it was done. They recently phoned me (nearly a year after the conclusion of our business with them) and told me they were going to check on her. ... Umm... ok. I can't tell them no. I'm not allowed to. But, she can't freaking pay them and they know that. So, I just got an itemized bill including several hundred dollars for them visiting her and a fee for them reviewing and increasing the fees they were charging her. Where does that end? I am utterly mindblown. 

What did your sister do about her bill? Did she pay your brother? I have a sinking feeling she didn't and he sued her and had her garnished. That would be terrible, but it seems fitting based on the situation. 

OMG....

(your words above)…"Yet, she had the lawful right to retain an attorney and try to have me removed as her guardian, purely because she didn't want one anymore."  

  I just had to let you know that I am horrified and believe you.

I had a similar situation.   Yours is horrific, yes, but at least you don't have a group of relatives telling you that your mother is sane and you are the devil.

Your mom is non compos mentes but of course, no one is going to care or dispute it, because the "law" is on her side.  The law is interpreted in this instance as the one having the most cash to overturn the law.

I know it doesn't matter, but it wasn't my sister you asked about.  It was the lawyer's sister.  Lawyers think about everything in billable hours.  That's all they think about.  This is what I mean. 

I think she told him to stick it.  I don't remember.  After all, they both had the same mother and their mother was horrified he did that to his sister. LOL

It was HIS LAW FIRM.  Don't ignore this part.  He owned the firm.  LOL

Anyway, my heart goes out to you.  Once more, I must remark on the fact that you are so together that I wish I had someone like you in my life when I was going through this with my mom.   I mention this because I want you to at least think about the fact that you are amazingly capable.

Unfortunately, capable people get to watch themselves BEING screwed, while not being able to do much about it.   Just like the rest of us.  Ignorance is bliss sometimes. 

My mom was batshit psycho at the end of her life.  The last year made her really out there.  I don't fault nor blame my mom.  She did not ask for the medications she was forced to take that made her even more whippy.  But, my relatives were so insane themselves, they blamed me.  If she was complaining, it was my fault.  If she said I was trying to upset her, it was my fault.   So, by the time any decisions were made concerning her money, life, health, were concerned?    I just don't know why I had to endure this hell on earth.  It still haunts me.

So, you are doing much better than me.  You don't have a circus attacking you at least.  But, I feel your pain.  I do.  Your mom is so lucky to have you.

I actually did go through something similar with one brother. While my mom was living with me, she got way out of hand. She tried to hurt my kids, would curse at me, would take swings at me, and just made life really hard in general. I hired a caregiver to come out one day a week for a few hours and I usually used the time to sleep. My mother hated that and constantly treated the woman like crap. One day, the lady was helping my mom out of bed and my mom yanked her into bed with her, then blamed the lady for being "weak." By that point, I was begging my local brother for help. I couldn't do it alone anymore, but then she upped her game and stated throwing herself out of her wheelchair and onto the floor. I spoke to her caseworkers and doctor and my other brother and we all agreed it was no longer safe for me to move my mom to her chair, so I told her she'd have to stay in bed. I still tended to her, changed her, bathed her in bed, and so on, but she was ticked and complained to my local brother, who then encouraged her and told her how badly I was treating her. He even accused me of elder abuse. Oh. My. Word. I lost it. I have never been so hurt and angry in my life. I used to be close with that brother. Now, we don't even talk unless I'm informing him of updates. 

I still go through stuff with him from time to time. My other brother too, occasionally. My mom's latest thing is that she wants to get married to what would be her sixth husband, and I won't consent. That's why she tried to have me removed. When that didn't pan out, she called my WI brother and told him I was neglecting her and that he needed to take over. He called me pissed and started in on me. Thankfully, when I explained what was going on, he chilled out. I've told both my brothers, "If you want to be guardian, have at it." I don't care who does it, but somebody has to. She's now been kicked out of a couple facilities and I'm trying to find her another new place. At the latest one, she threw herself on the floor again when a caregiver was transferring her. She went to the ER and I was told she'd have to go to rehab. My brother ripped onto me again, saying I wasn't doing enough for her. Argh! Keeping up with her is literally a part-time job, even though she doesn't live with me anymore. 

Thankfully, the marriage is one thing my brothers and I all agree on isn't going to happen, but the rest of the details get murkier. I've had other friends and family tell me I should just hand her off to the state, but I can't do that. She still needs a lot of help and a caseworker isn't going to be managing her stuff well or be on top of things. We'd have all the same problems, but I'd be powerless to do anything about them. It's a nightmare. As far as this lawyer goes, the courts recognize she is mentally incompetent, but she is allowed to challenge that. It's a protective measure put in place to ensure people who can manage their own affairs are not tied down by guardians they don't need. I understand and respect that- nobody should have a guardian making decisions for them if it's unnecessary. But at the same time, my mom will never recover. Her need for a guardian will never change. It doesn't make sense that she should be able to keep making me jump through hoops. Moreover, this stuff isn't coming from her. It only started up when she got a boyfriend. He's the one instigating all this crap.

I remember you talking about some of the stuff happening with your mom; I was taking care of mine at about the same time too. Let that be a lesson to anyone else following along with these stories- if you have aging parents, get on the same page with your siblings and parents now- before you're in this situation. And, if you have one sibling primarily caring for your parent, support them- any way you can. Even if it's just emotional support over the phone or taking a dinner over or whatever. It's such a hard spot to be in, and sibling disputes make it even worse. I'm sorry you had to deal with all that too. It just stinks. 

  Just Asking, before laying one more cent, contact the Bar Association to find out the rights and wrongs of what's going on here, please. I think a lot of times people blindly pay bills thinking that they have to, especially when someone as "powerful" or "influential" as an attorney renders them. ~

Thanks. I might do that. I spoke with the lawyer's secretary yesterday and she seemed a little surprised by it and told me she'd talk to the lawyer and he'd call me on Monday. Based on her reaction, I get the feeling they're going to write off the bill, but I'll wait and see what he has to say before anything else. 

Did you miss the stipulation in the membership agreement in which you promised to make monthly payments of $999? How long have you been a Mugger? Hmmm.... That bill's not gonna be cheap. :p

I didn't miss it the first time, but I'm sure it's there now. -__-

I didn't sign the agreement- that would have been my mother... which is odd. I still can't wrap my brain around how the state agrees she can't make her own decisions, but she is allowed to retain an attorney on her own. He did keep me in the loop; I have the original contract and the updated fees from earlier this year. It just astounded me that he would send me a bill for that now. If he doesn't write it off, I will look into it. Thanks!

I'm confused by the state's stance, too.  It doesn't seem to make sense.  He should write it off.