Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The survey should not take more than 10-15 minutes. We are conducting this survey to evaluate the pilot fee schedule currently in place in the following counties: Burke, Davidson, Iredell, Lincoln, Macon, Watauga. This survey should only be completed by attorneys who have been providing representation to court-appointed clients in these counties.
The fee schedule was implemented as a pilot program at the direction of the General Assembly. IDS is in the process of making an initial assessment of how the schedule is working, and will be submitting a report to the General Assembly in March, 2018.
We want to know the impact of the fee schedule, positive or negative, on the clients, the lawyers and the court system in which these cases are heard. Before completing the survey, please spend some time thinking about the ways in which the change from hourly compensation to compensation under a fee schedule may have had an impact on you, your clients and the courts. For example, has the fee schedule changed the time and effort lawyers can put into their cases, the speed with which lawyers are paid or cases resolved, the number of lawyers willing to accept appointment, or any other impact. If your answer is different for different types of cases, please let us know in your answer.