Whats the name of the legal form i should ask a lawyer insted of a receipt? -

Whats the name of the form i should ask a lawyer, that describes the services he provided along with the cost. I want it in writing so he does not over charged me.

A retainer agreement. Just another name for a contract.

How about an invoice?

itemized invoice

The retainer agreement is the contract you sign which hires (quot;retainsquot;) the lawyer. If you re paying him by the hour, or on a contingency basis, he should be sending you an itemized statement each month, listing what he did, the time he spent doing it, out of pocket expenses and how much of your retainer (if any) is left. Lawyers are infamous for quot;paddingquot; their bills -- listing more time than was actually spent on your case, or just making up things that they really never did. If the lawyer is charging you a quot;flat feequot; (where the fee doesn t change no matter how much or how little time he spends on the case, often done in criminal cases) he might not send an itemized statement. Even so he should be willing to do so if you ask. Check the retainer agreement before you sign it. One more tip: unfortunately, the only way to keep a lawyer from overcharging you is to pick one who s honest -- if you can find one. Good luck!