The retainer is kinda like a minimum payment and a down payment. That way the lawyer doesn't go out of their. As the lawyer works on your case, they bill their time against the retainer fee at an agreed-upon hourly rate. Lawyer retainers can be a bit complex, but here's a succinct guide to help you understand whether they are refundable and what your options might be.
When engaging legal services, the financial arrangement between you and your attorney is typically structured around a retainer agreement. The most common form of retainer fee applies to lawyers who, in most cases, require potential clients to provide an upfront retainer fee. For this reason, these fees usually remain separate from the hourly wages of the consultant, freelancer, or lawyer. If either you or your attorney terminate the relationship before the retainer is exhausted, and if allowed by the agreement and applicable laws, the remaining portion of the retainer may be refundable.
Earned retainer fees are the portion of the retainer that the lawyer is entitled to after work begins. If you are unsure if your retainer is exhausted, you can ask your lawyer for an itemized invoice listing all of the work that they have performed. If the client’s case is resolved before reaching the five-hour limit, the lawyer refunds the remaining portion of the retainer to the client. A retainer fee is an advance payment made by clients to their attorneys and is held in a trust account.
Earned retainer fees may be granted to the lawyer bit by bit, depending on the number of hours worked. I've been trying to ask the guy for a couple of months now if he can look in to it for me and I feel like he's just giving me the run around at this point.