Originally Posted by AmeliaG

A retainer should cover basically what amount of work that firm expects to do for you in the near term. If you are on the verge of litigation, then $5k would be too low, and you should expect more like $40k. If you just want some documents done right, then more like $1k would be common. So, whether that is overcharging or not, depends on how much work you will be having the firm do in the next three months to a year. Figure that an hour of an attorney's time will run probably $200 to $600, depending on the lawyer and what he or she is doing for you. Think about how many hours you will likely need, not counting initial consultation.