My wife and I contacted Nico through the MetLife Legal Plan for a real estate matter. After receiving his engagement letter, we noticed it included an additional $375 flat fee. Because the matter was being handled through the MetLife legal plan, my wife called MetLife directly to confirm whether additional fees should apply. MetLife informed us that services such as consultation, document review, and representation at closing are typically covered under the plan. Based on that information, my wife emailed Nico and politely asked him to explain the basis for the additional fee. Instead of providing clarification, he responded that it would be “best for us to part ways,” stated that the idea that an attorney would provide “unlimited consultation” under the plan was “insulting,” and said he would close our MetLife claim. We found this response surprising. The question we asked was simply about understanding the billing and how it related to the MetLife plan. In our past experiences using attorneys within the MetLife network, questions about plan coverage have typically been answered directly and professionally. In this case, no explanation of the fee was provided, and the representation was terminated after the question was asked. For anyone using a legal services plan, I would strongly recommend confirming in advance how the attorney handles plan-covered work versus additional charges. Transparency around billing should not be an issue when a client asks for clarification. His actions should be a red-flag for anyone considering his services.
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