This fee arbitration program is an informal, confidential, impartial, and lower cost avenue for resolving fee disputes between lawyers and clients. The State Bar can help you resolve a problem with attorney fees through an informal, confidential and lower-cost alternative called Mandatory Fee Arbitration.In most cases, the agreement also must note that the attorney's fee is negotiable between the attorney and the client. Complete the Attorney's Request for Arbitration of a Fee Dispute Application and Arbitration Agreement. Statement of Facts and upload additional attachments. If you have a fee dispute with a client, call me, Ethics Lawyer David C. Carr, at . The American Rule is a general stipulation that each party to a civil suit must pay their own attorney's fees. Generally, in California, each party to a lawsuit must pay their own attorney fees incurred in a lawsuit. Our value-based billing method strives to provide clients with transparent, honest, and clearly established fee estimates prior to proceeding with any project. The general or default rule that applies to litigants in California is that each party to the lawsuit or arbitration pays his or her (or its) own attorney fees.