Cost of Minc Law’s Internet Defamation & Online Reputation Management Services
Pricing Information for Internet Defamation Services
At Minc Law, we pride ourselves on transparency and trust. We understand that the costs of legal representation is one of the most important questions clients want answered when choosing a lawyer or law firm to represent them. We created this page to answer these questions pertaining to this crucial issue. Below, you will find detailed information regarding:
- The three different types of pricing structures and services that Minc Law offers clients;
- How much each category of legal services can typically cost;
- Factors that can influence cost for each category of legal service;
- How much time different types of legal matters typically take;
- What can you expect if you retain Minc Law for each service;
- Answers to some of the most common questions people ask when calling our firm to inquire about our services;
- Information needed to help clients determine what legal services at Minc Law are right for them; and
- How to develop an initial budget and case plan for the costs associated with pursuing your case.
As simple as the question of costs may sound, providing accurate price and cost estimates for legal services is not an easy task. The answer in every case is that, it depends on so many different factors. Buying legal services is not like buying a house or a car. There are rarely any one-size-fits-all solutions. Every client’s legal matter is unique. Dozens of unknown factors can significantly affect costs. Legal matters can also be unpredictable. There are factors present in most all legal matters that are beyond anyone’s control. These factors can potentially prolong necessary work and significantly affect expenses on any case.
This page is a comprehensive guide meant to provide useful and actionable information to potential clients who are actively considering our firm for legal services. It covers the most important factors that influence costs in legal matters and gives the average or minimum range of costs often required for different types of legal matters.
It also provides specific information on prices and costs, based on:
- Our internal accounting data, and
- Years of experience representing thousands of clients in internet defamation cases.
However, this page is NOT an exact price quote or cost estimate for your specific case. As with any sensitive legal matter, if you are interested in obtaining more specific advice or information regarding the costs and expenses related to your specific case or issue, you will need to speak directly with a legal expert.
Minc Law’s 2 Tiered Approach to Services & Pricing
One of the most important questions that we get asked everyday by clients before they retain our firm is, how much is my legal matter going to cost?
At Minc Law, we offer two primary types of services and pricing that we charge clients for all of our firm’s legal engagements. These are:
1. Hourly Non-Litigation Services:
Hourly non-litigation services are offered when a client retains our firm where no litigation is contemplated or involved as part of the legal engagement. We require an upfront retainer (deposit) of a set amount of money for hourly non-litigation services and then bill for services at an hourly rate. Generally, a minimum retainer of $3500 to $4500 is required for an engagement.
Hourly non-litigation service matters generally include the removal of news articles, blogs, consumer reviews, images, court pleadings, and other content that is typically either factual in nature or otherwise not actionable. However, they can involve almost anything, including, online harassment, cease and desist letters, online extortion, sextortion, criminal conduct, pornography, revenge pornography, defamation, and other online privacy concerns.
2. Hourly Litigation Services:
Hourly litigation services are appropriate when a client’s case involves filing a lawsuit. They are the most cost, time, and work-intensive service of the three. We bill litigation services hourly, including expert witness services. Generally, we require a minimum retainer of $7500 for any litigation matter. However the total cost of your litigation matter will be influenced by a number of important factors.
Which service is right for you and how much it costs depends entirely on the types of issues you may be facing, as well as a variety of other factors. Read on to find out about each in greater detail! To avoid wasting time, we strongly suggest that you to skip to the section of this page that directly applies to the type of legal matter or service you are considering.
Why Choose Minc Law?
No matter what online content issue you are facing, we at Minc Law are able to handle it. Watch our accompanying video to learn what separates Minc Law from other law firms when it comes to removing unwanted online content and why you should hire the best when your reputation is at stake.
Most Common Hourly Non-Litigation Services We Provide
The types of issues where we provide Hourly Non-Litigation Services is when a client wants to remove online content and no litigation is involved or contemplated as part of the legal engagement.
Many of the matters we handle that fall under this category are factual and truthful in nature, or some other reason precludes any valid legal claim to litigate, even if the client wanted to file a lawsuit for any number of reasons. Common examples include:
- News articles,
- Blogs,
- Consumer reviews,
- Images,
- Court pleadings.
However, this list is far from exhaustive. Some of the cases that we handle under this service category involve online harassment, extortion, sextortion, criminal conduct, porn, defamation, and other online privacy concerns.
We can generally attempt to remove any type of content clients want taken down from almost any type of website or platform. And we have a high success rate in doing so.
The bottom line is, for purposes of determining the type of service category your matter falls into, any matter we handle that:
- Doesn’t involve a lawsuit, and
- Isn’t a Guaranteed Content Removal, generally falls under this service offering.
In this chapter:
Average Costs of Hourly Non-Litigation Services
Generally, most Hourly Non-Litigation Services require a minimum retainer of $4,500 to $5,500 to attempt to remove content posted on one or two websites.
Like Guaranteed Removals, the more websites, content, and work that is anticipated, the higher the retainer an attorney will likely request. A good rule of thumb is that an additional $1000 is usually requested as a retainer for each additional website or link a client wants removed. As mentioned above, we do offer discounts for volume and other factors, depending on the websites involved.
The hourly rate of the attorney you are working with, anticipated work needed to be completed, and other factors can also determine the size of a requested retainer amount.
Currently, based on our internal accounting data, the average cost of Hourly Non-Litigation matters falls between $5,000-$6,000. However, total costs are regularly higher or lower on any given matter, and depend on:
- How much content you want removed,
- How many websites the content is posted on,
- How difficult it is to remove the content,
- How many attorney-client meetings are needed,
- How long, the complexity, or how much information there is to get up to speed on,
- The nature of the content or sensitivities of the issues at play,
- The hourly rate of the attorney you are working with, and
- How much time it takes to complete the matter.
Monthly invoices detailing invoice amounts, work completed, and remaining retainer amounts are provided to clients near the beginning of every month.
Like Guaranteed Removal matters, every situation is unique. You must reach out to us and speak to an attorney directly regarding the specific facts of your case. Doing so will enable you to obtain a more accurate estimate of what total case costs may look like and what your retainer amount would be for your matter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Non-Litigation Services
What is a Retainer & How do Hourly Billed Legal Services Work?
A retainer is an advance payment (or deposit) made by clients for legal services to be performed. All retainers are put into our firm’s trust account (called an IOLTA), which is regulated and subject to audit by the State of Ohio.
Retainers are NOT fixed fee price quotes or estimates of overall case costs.
We bill Non-Litigation Services hourly against retainers deposited by clients. Invoices detailing the amount of time and work completed are sent out electronically to every client via email at the beginning of each month. They detail the work completed the prior month.
At the conclusion of your matter, if the overall costs of a legal matter wind up being less than the retainer, any remaining amount in trust will be returned.
For example, let’s say a client pays a non-litigation retainer of $4,000 to attempt to remove two news articles appearing on a single website. If the attorney’s hourly rate working on the matter is $400 per hour and the attorney does five hours of work to remove the articles, then $2,000 will be deducted from the $4,000 retainer. That leaves $2,000 left of the retainer for additional services or to be returned to the client.
On the flip side, if (or when) the costs of a legal matter exceed the initial retainer, we will then bill monthly for amounts in excess of the retainer to collect payment for the work performed the prior month. We do not require ‘evergreen’ retainers.
So, if on that same matter mentioned above, a total of 15 hours were billed by the same attorney to complete the work, that would cost $6,000, and exceed the original retainer by $2,000. The client will then be billed for the amount overage ($2,000), as work is completed once the retainer is depleted.
How Much Time Do Hourly Non-Litigation Cases Take?
On average, most Hourly Non-Litigation matters take around 3 to 4 months to complete. However, as with all legal matters, this is entirely dependent on the facts of your case.
For example, if only one website is involved and we are able to reach all parties and complete work quickly, these matters can be completed in as little as 30 to 60 days.
Of course, if the opposite circumstances are present (many sites, slow communications, etc), timelines are often much more prolonged.
Usually, how long matters take is an unknown factor that is mostly out of the control of the attorney you are working with. Regardless of the case, the goal of every attorney, on every case, is to complete work in as professional and reasonably expeditious manner as possible.
What Can I Expect Working With Minc Law on an Hourly Non-Litigation Case?
On Hourly Non-Litigation cases, both a dedicated Minc Law attorney and paralegal will be assigned to your case.
Step One
The first step of the process is to speak with a paralegal at Minc Law to determine that you indeed qualify as a potential client for this type of matter and that it is appropriate for your type of legal issues and case.
Typical questions that a paralegal will want to know is:
- Your basic contact information,
- The facts and issue you are calling about,
- That you are aware and can afford the typical minimum budget needed for the type of matter that you will discuss with an attorney,
- Links to the content at issue that you may want removed, and
- Other types of information to assure you are connected with the most appropriate Minc Law professional to handle your case.
Step Two
Assuming that you qualify, the next step is that you will have a consult scheduled with a Minc Law attorney. During the consult you will be able to confidentially discuss your legal issue and ask questions. You will also be able to get advice and strategy as to how we can assist with your legal matter. If you then hire our firm and become a client, we will generally start working on your matter immediately.
Step Three
This is where we get started on your legal matter. The attorney you had your consult with will usually be your primary contact on your legal case along with an assigned paralegal. They will update you regularly as updates events occur in your case.
They will also be your point of contact for any questions related to your case. Typically, on most new cases that come into the firm, a quick call is scheduled the week after a client signs up as appropriate before significant work is commenced on a case.
All cases in the firm are also staffed with a managing attorney who checks in monthly and periodically on the status of your case, assures best practice and the most updated firm resources and knowledge are being utilized, and that things are moving as they should with your matter.
All clients receive monthly invoices around the beginning of every month that explain:
- Case costs incurred,
- Expenses,
- Time spent by any Minc Law attorneys or paralegals working on your matter (in tenth of an hour increments), and
- The amount remaining on any retainer.
Note: legal terminology can be overwhelming and confusing for some clients. Our attorneys and paralegals are always at-the-ready to answer any questions from clients about how to read your Minc Law invoice.
Each month all clients are also provided a formal update letter on the status of their case, any critical events or outstanding information requests, or other important case matters. This ensures all parties are kept up to speed and on the same page regarding their legal matter.
Hourly Litigation Services (& Expert Witness Services)
Hourly Litigation Services refer to matters handled by the firm on an hourly basis that involve litigation (i.e. lawsuits). Of the three types of services we provide, Hourly Litigation Services are typically the most cost, time, and work intensive service of the three.
Most Common Hourly Litigation Services We Provide
As the name suggests, hourly litigation cases involve lawsuits. The most common types of lawsuits that Minc Law handles are:
- “John Doe” suits to determine the identity of an anonymous defamer or the source of cyber harassment;
- Injunctions to stop defamation, extortion, and other types of cyber harassment;
- Cases where a court order is required to remove content from a website or Google search results (I.e. Ripoff Report, Pissed Consumer, etc);
- Traditional libel and privacy tort cases for monetary compensation; and
- Expert witness testimony and damage reports.
The above list is far from a complete list of all the types of matters we litigate.
Importantly though, we don’t see litigation as the solution to people’s problems. At Minc Law, we see litigation as a necessary means to relief at times, not an end. It is simply just one of many weapons in our firm’s war chest that attorneys are equipped with to get clients the relief and resolution they are seeking.
For most of our clients (90%+), the primary goal of their legal engagement is to remove defamatory online content, stop harassment, and identify the party that’s responsible (if they are unknown).
Obtaining monetary compensation is always considered and an available option, but is usually something that is a secondary goal in most cases. But not all.
Usually, we strongly recommend our other services to clients first if it will accomplish a client’s goals. Only if we deem litigation both a necessary and appropriate tool to be utilized in your case to most effectively and efficiently obtain the results you want, will we then recommend it as an option.
As with all cases, to find out if your case qualifies for litigation or another service area, you must speak with a Minc Law intake specialist and then attorney during a consult further to assess the unique facts of your case.
In this chapter:
Average Costs of Hourly Litigation Services
At Minc Law, we bill litigation services hourly, including expert witness services for businesses and individuals, and require a minimum retainer of $8,500 for any litigation matter. For more information about how retainers work see the ‘What is a Retainer & How do Hourly Billed Legal Services Work?‘ in the FAQ of the Hour Non-Litigation section of this page.
Average total cases costs can be as low as $5000-$8500, fall between $14,000-$16,000 in many situations, and sometimes can cost far more if certain other factors are present.
To start, the $8,500 retainer amount is requested for a couple of reasons.
First, the retainer amount is generally what’s needed (at a minimum), to cover costs, fees, and other expenses to initiate and sustain your legal matter during the first 1-2 (or 3) months.
To file a defamation lawsuit requires a lot of work. We often need to cover and pay numerous costs, fees, and make several filings to commence a lawsuit. These include:
- Initial intake, investigation, and pre-litigation due diligence;
- Research and drafting a complaint;
- Court costs associated with filing fees;
- Process server or other service costs;
- Local counsel fees;
- Necessary pre-suit communications or demand letters; and
- Subpoena fees and costs (especially in John Doe lawsuits);
This list is far from exhaustive. Either way, the point is we know from experience that the total costs of most litigation matters wind up being at or over the initial retainer amount.
Second, litigation is expensive. We need to know you are serious and committed to trying your case and have the budget to do so.
For many people, the costs to pursue litigation are very significant. While we would like to be able to represent all clients in cases regardless of budget, the reality is that that its in no one interests to have people pursue legal matters they can’t afford. This is true regardless of how much we would like to help someone or they really need our help.
The retainer we request for litigation is a fair, and reasonable sum, that we find is agreeable to most people who are serious about pursuing a lawsuit. It ensures that there is a proper balance of trust regarding our firm’s desire to be paid in a timely manner for legal services that will be incurred, while also not unnecessarily burdening our clients financially.
On very rare occasions we may be amenable to accepting a lower retainer amount if it appears the matter is an abbreviated and very contained case (like pre-negotiated stipulated judgments or consulting work on already filed lawsuits). However, these cases are the exception, not the rule.
Likewise, when specific matters seem certain that they will drive up extraordinary costs quickly or present highly unusual circumstances, we may request a higher amount. These decisions are left to the discretion of each attorney working on a matter and firm management in each case.
Open & Honest Communication
What is far more important to us as a firm, and for purposes of your legal matter, is that when you consult with a Minc Law attorney or paralegal about your case, both parties have an open and honest conversation. This conversation can shed light on expected factors that could drive costs in the case and what, if any, limitations there are to a client’s budget that an attorney handling your matter should be aware of.
Because the costs and necessary budget of a case can depend on factors that are unknown or unpredictable, below we discuss some of the primary factors that can influence costs and what the average cost of cases are when these factors are present.
Costs of Contested vs. Uncontested Cases
One of the biggest factors that determines hourly litigation service case costs is whether a case is contested or uncontested. Meaning, do you have an opponent on the other side of your case fighting back against your claims or not.
Uncontested Case Costs
When cases are uncontested or settle quickly, legal costs are much more affordable. At Minc Law, 90% or more of all client cases are uncontested.
This is typically by design. In all cases, our firm aims to give clients strategy suggestions and advice regarding legal claims that more often than not lead to quick resolutions, uncontested outcomes, and effective and cost-efficient results.
The average uncontested lawsuit at Minc Law usually takes about six to seven months. Even uncontested case costs can vary significantly based on any number of different factors. However, on average, they total around $14,000-$16,000.
Keep in mind that this amount is half the initial retainer we request. Meaning on average an initial retainer can cover about half the total costs of an uncontested lawsuit.
When the initial retainer runs out, monthly invoices generally will range between a few hundred to a few thousand dollars ($1000-$3000). Once again, it will depend on the amount of work completed in a given month and what is going on in your case.
Contested Case Costs
Contested cases, in most all circumstances cost more money than uncontested cases. This is because they inevitably take a lot more time, preparation, and work. The primary reason why cases are contested, and not uncontested, usually has to do with the client’s desire to obtain monetary compensation and relief.
Total costs and the time it takes to litigate contested cases are hard to predict. This is because the actions of the opposing party or decisions by a Court at any given point can completely change the dynamics, timelines, workload, and costs of any given case. These factors are not accurately predictable prior to filing and litigating a matter. However, once a case is filed we can get a much better sense for how the litigation will go at each phase of a case (pleadings, discovery, mediation, trial, etc.).
Therefore, when we discuss case costs with clients who are contemplating contested litigation, we usually frame the conversation in terms of what a case or client’s expected monthly budget will be.
Generally speaking, a reasonable cost expectation is that contested cases require an average monthly budget of around $4,000–$6,000. Therefore, a simple way to figure out costs is simply to multiply the average monthly cost above by the number of months the litigation might take to conclude.
So for example, 6 months of contested litigation could cost between $24,000-$36,000.
However, litigation costs can vary dramatically month-to-month in certain situations. In a month where there are depositions , hearings, mediation, motions being filed, or other heavy workload activities, case costs are higher. On the flip side, there are also many months in litigation where there is little to no activity. For example, if the parties are waiting on a ruling from the Court, bills during these months can be small.
What is critical to understand is whether you can realistically afford the expenses at all, or what your breaking point would be in terms of overall or monthly budget. All of our attorneys can work with in a framework of known expectations to keep costs contained and push case timelines as best as possible.
At Minc Law, we try to stay as flexible as we can regarding budget and payment options to deal with these variable financial burdens and constraints. Communication and transparent dialogue is essential to any successful attorney client relationship in a contested case.
Other Important Ligation Cost Factors
Regardless of whether your case is contested or uncontested, each month can bring a host of different challenges and issues that can impact case costs. Litigation services and costs are also influenced by:
- Amount of content you want removed,
- How long the case goes,
- Whether the defendant is unknown,
- Whether a court order is necessary to obtain relief,
- Whether you’re seeking monetary relief,
- Whether emergency motions are necessary,
- Appeals (if necessary),
- Expert witness file review and preparation,
- Expert witness testimony fees.
All of the above factors need to be discussed with one of our experienced attorneys in order for us to provide you with an accurate quote or idea of what costs could look like.
For a full list and breakdown of all the factors which drive the costs of a defamation case, check out our article ‘How Much Does a Defamation Case Cost?’
Frequently Asked Questions About Pricing
Questions About Pricing? Call Us at (216) 373-7706
Generally, no. We do not take defamation cases on a contingency basis. This is due to a variety of different reasons, including that the most of our clients are interested in content removal, not monetary awards.
We are fortunate and humbled to receive hundreds of inquiries per month from people, businesses, and other organizations looking to hire us for legal services. Our services are in high demand and we simply do not have the capacity or the need to take on any additional financial risks of contingency matters as part of our firm’s business model.
Yes, but we only take cases on a flat fee basis if they qualify as guaranteed content removals. However, if your case is one we handle on an hourly basis and you would like to place maximum amounts or limitations to the amount of money you spend on your legal matter, this can (at times) be arranged. We do try to do everything reasonable that we can to tailor our services to fall within a mutually understood budget if one is set by a client and agreed to ahead of time.
This conversation needs to happen upfront in your initial consult with the attorney who handles your case. Your budget and expectations should be clearly set out and agreed to in writing (in emails) before significant work is started on your matter. Otherwise, the terms of your engagement agreement will control the matter.
Minc Law attorney’s current hourly rates are as follows:
- Aaron Minc – $600 per hour
- Daniel Powell – $500 per hour
- Dorrian Horsey – $425 per hour
- Michael Pelagalli – $425 per hour
- Nathan Woodward – $375 per hour
- Michele Simonelli – $350 per hour
Minc Law paralegals and law clerks bill at hourly rates of $100-150.
You can reach out to any of the Minc Law attorneys to discuss your issue by calling us at (216) 373-7706, engaging with a Live Chat representative, or scheduling a meeting online.
Yes. But we only offer money back for guaranteed content removal services detailed above. If we can’t get your post from that specific list of agreed websites removed, then we will return your deposit in full.
We do NOT offer money back guarantees for Hourly Litigation and Hourly Non-Litigation Services. We are a professional service provider. No different than most professionals, we bill by the hour for our time, and are due to be compensated regardless of results where no specific results were guaranteed.
When working with Minc Law, you’re getting the best of the best in terms of professionals and experience in internet defamation, content removal, and other areas of internet law. That’s why people come to us, to help them tackle the hardest to solve and most important issues.
We always strive for 100% success on every matter and have extremely high success rates removing online content (please see our testimonials), However, we do not guarantee successful outcomes, especially on professional attorney services.
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. While it might seem unfair that you have to pay for the removal of content posted by a third-party that is harming you and you believe is illegal, no one else is going to pay for it to come down. Ultimately, it’s your risk and your reward.
If you want online content removed today, contact us immediately to schedule your free, initial no-obligation consultation with an intake specialist.
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Get help right away.
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