Do I need a retainer fee to sue a company for slander?

Practically any attorney would want a retainer before agreeing to take your case. Generally this can range from $500 to $5000, depending on how complex the attorney anticipates your case will be. Of course, you can always represent yourself but that's really not advisable in a slander case as such cases tend to be complex. That said, be prepared to pay a substantial amount in attorney's fees. However, if your case has merit, your attorney can and should include the legal fees as part of the damages sought. Generally, to make a slander case stick, you have to prove that you suffered real damages as a result of false statements made either directly about you or that directly impacted you in a negative manner and caused you to suffer a measurable loss as a result.

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Originally Posted by wadenote

do I need a retainer fee to sue a company for slander?

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Hello wade:

When a lawyer is absolutely convinced he's going to win, he'll take the case on a contingency (percentage) basis, cause he'll make more that way. But when a lawyer isn't sure if he can win, he's going to charge by the hour.

Unless you have a slam dunk case, you're going to have to pay up front. Slander is a SPOKEN lie - that's hard to prove, so it's not looking good for you. Libel, however, is a WRITTEN lie and is much easier to prove - but still not a slam dunk.

Sooooo, I'd say you have to come up with some bucks.

excon

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Originally Posted by wadenote

do I need a retainer fee to sue a company for slander?

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I have witness that heard the slander that the business owner stated about me.
I have one witness and I also had niece in the store she a baby. She cuss and stated lies about me and her coowner will I have a case when it spoken language

As noted a "witness" and the such are not always the best evidence, there will be issues of them not appearing in court, them forgetting or the defense attorney making a fool of them.

And cursing you will not be the issue, but what they said may be.

Most likely you can expect at least a 5000 retainer and more money to pay if they actually have to go to court.