Attorneys can sue for unpaid fees, but not to force their client to cooperate. You're partly in the clear!If the person who the attorney is suing agreed to pay fees and the attorney can prove this then yes the attorney can sue this person for unpaid fees. The most common billing method is to charge a set amount for each hour of time the lawyer works on your case. Access the forms and information you need to file or respond to a small claims case. Hello all, I need help with this issue. Deciding whether to sue a former client for unpaid fees requires a costbenefit analysis. Fee arbitration or mediation is a quick, low cost method of resolving fee disputes between attorneys and clients without filing suit in a formal court of law. Lawyers make good audit subjects because they often handle client funds. They also tend to have significant income.