Fees. Rates for investigative services are $150.00 per hour. Witness testimony provided at depositions and trials is billed at $150.00 per hour. Travel time is billed on a portal-to-portal basis. Fees are based on a time and materials basis and will be applied to the retainer provided by the client. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia reserves the right to withhold delivery of reports or other data pending full payment of all outstanding charges. Any delinquent account will be subject to a stop work order unless previous arrangements have been accepted in writing by Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia .
Expenses. Non-labor travel related expenses (e.g., airfare, hotels, etc.) will be billed at cost . All other expenses, such as subcontracted messenger or delivery services, lab testing and the like, will be billed at cost. Standard evidence storage, photographic and graphic production services will be charged at Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia’s published rates.
Payments. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia will submit monthly statements indicating outstanding fees and expenses. Payments for any charges in excess of the retainer account are due within seven work days. Any delinquent account will be subject to a stop work order.
Responsibility for cost incurred. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia will submit invoices for charges accrued on a time and material basis. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia’s client is responsible for all costs incurred during the course of requested and authorized services provided by Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia (including, but not limited to, all work done by Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia, preparation for and attendance at depositions, document compilation and review in response to subpoenas and the like). Under no circumstances is that financial liability transferable, in whole or part, to any other party, except upon written authorization by Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia .
Confidential Matters. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia will hold in strict confidence all information and materials disclosed or provided to Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia will exercise the same standard of care to protect retaining counsel’s confidential data as is used to protect its own proprietary data from unauthorized disclosures.
Limitation of Liability. Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia shall not be liable under any contract except where damages are occasioned by the gross negligence of Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia or its employees. In no event shall Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia liability exceed total contract price under which Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia services have been performed. In no event shall Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia be liable for incidental or consequential damages of any kind.
Cancellations. The client shall have the right to cancel a contract for services at any time only when Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia has received written notice of the cancellation and only after all fees and expenses to the date of cancellation, including any non-cancelable charges and close-out costs, have been paid in full.
Construction/Arbitration. The contract, to which these Standard Terms and Conditions are a part, shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Virginia. Any dispute relating to the contract under which Pretrial Services of Northern Virginia’s services have been performed will be submitted to binding arbitration in Fairfax County, Virginia, in conformity with the existing rules of the American Arbitration Association. This right of binding arbitration shall be in lieu of the right of either party to proceed in a court of law or equity.