Retainer Agreement

• A. A contract that closes a case immediately and waives fees.
• B. A litigation plan approved by court.
• C. A contract between the lawyer and the client that specifies the scope of the services to be rendered and the fee to be charged.
• D. A document transferring ownership of a business.

Answer: (C)

A retainer agreement is a contract between the lawyer and the client that sets out what work will be done and how the lawyer will be paid. This upfront clarity helps both sides understand the scope of representation, the billing method, and the terms of engagement, including when work starts, how fees are calculated, and what happens if the client or lawyer ends the relationship.

That’s why the description of a contract between the lawyer and the client specifying the scope of services and the fee best captures the purpose of a retainer agreement.

The other options describe situations that aren’t about the private legal services contract: closing a case with a waived fee is not a general representation agreement; a court-approved litigation plan is a court-endorsed procedural document, not a private fee-and-scope contract; and transferring ownership of a business is unrelated to establishing a lawyer–client representation terms.