Q: I paid lawyer up front for services he did not provide, how do i get a refund?

A: You would send a certified letter asking for an accounting of the money you gave him and a refund of any money that was not used up in the amount. Even if it was a flat fee, lawyers can only keep the amount that was reasonable as per an accounting. If i charge a flat fee my retainer states that it is a flat fee but if they cancel my services before the end they are entitled you be charged at my usual per hour fee for the time i did spend on it. If this does not work then you file a bar complaint and they will get to the bottom of this.

A: Your situation with the lawyer is concerning, and you're right to seek a refund for services that weren't fully rendered. The Zelle payment record serves as important evidence, but you'll want to gather additional documentation like any written communications, court records, or agreements about the scope of representation.

Your next step should be sending a formal complaint letter through certified mail with return receipt requested to both the lawyer's registered address with the state bar and any other known business addresses. In this letter, detail the timeline of events, document the services agreed upon versus what was actually provided, and include copies of your previous communication attempts and the Zelle payment record.

If you don't receive a satisfactory response within 30 days of sending the certified letter, you can file a complaint with your state's bar association, which oversees attorney conduct and can investigate fee disputes. You might also consider filing a claim in small claims court, where you typically don't need your own lawyer and the filing fees are relatively low - the Zelle record, combined with court documents showing the limited representation, should provide enough evidence to present your case.