The retainer is placed in the attorney's trust account and then used to pay for legal fees earned by the attorney and expenses related to the client's matter. ... The retainer still belongs to the client until it is earned by the attorney or used for legitimate expenses, and must be returned if unused.

Does a retainer get paid back?

A retainer fee is a payment made to a professional, often a lawyer, by a client for future services. Retainer fees do not guarantee an outcome or final product. Portions of retainer fees can be refunded if services end up costing less than originally planned.

How does a monthly retainer work?

Being on retainer means that you're “on-call” for a specified number of hours each week or month. The client agrees to pay you for these hours, whether he gives you work or not. ... You don't want to get caught with a client who expects you to put in hours beyond what your monthly fee covers.