Fee Arbitration Information and Instructions. Read the Consent to Arbitration form carefully to be sure you understand the terms of the fee arbitration process. If you agree to those terms, and wish to request arbitration of your fee dispute, please sign and date the Consent to Arbitration form in the space for Complainant. Use the Statement of Facts form to provide a brief statement of the facts regarding your fee problem. Both forms should be signed, dated, and returned to this office.  Please attach copies of any written fee contract or agreement, billing statement for services, or receipts for payment to the attorney.

Consent by Attorney and Client. The Cincinnati Bar Association does not regulate attorney’s fees, nor does it have the authority to order attorneys to refund money. Attorney-client fees are a matter of contract between the parties and the Cincinnati Bar Association cannot intercede without the consent of all parties. Arbitration is a voluntary process, and the parties to a fee dispute, attorney and client, must give their written consent before a matter can be accepted for fee arbitration. 

Procedure. After the Cincinnati Bar Association receives your Consent to Arbitration form and the Statement of Facts form, the forms will be forwarded to your attorney advising him or her that you have requested arbitration of his or her fee. If your attorney declines to submit this matter to fee arbitration, you will be notified, and may pursue any remedy to which you may be entitled through the court system. If your attorney consents to fee arbitration, your written statement will be forwarded to the Fee Arbitration Committee of the Cincinnati Bar Association for appointment of a hearing panel (or single arbitrator for disputes under $2,000). A member of that panel (or the single arbitrator) will contact you directly regarding the time, date, and place of the arbitration. Arbitration will then proceed in accordance with the terms described in the Consent to Arbitration form and the Fee Arbitration Committee Rules and Procedures.

Fee Disputes between Attorneys. The Fee Arbitration Committee of the Cincinnati Bar Association has authority to arbitrate fee disputes between attorneys. Unless mandated by Rule 1.5(f) of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct, arbitration is a voluntary process, and the parties to a fee dispute must give their written consent before a matter can be accepted for fee arbitration. 

Arbitration will proceed in accordance with the terms described in the Consent to Arbitration form and the Fee Arbitration Committee Rules and Procedures.

If you have any additional questions or need assistance, please call the Cincinnati Bar Association at 513-381-8213 and ask to speak with the grievance department.