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Request attorney fee approval from the Board of Review
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Board of Review
The Details of Request attorney fee approval from the Board of Review
What you need for Request attorney fee approval from the Board of Review
In order to request fee approval, attorneys should submit a letter to the Board of Review with the following information:
- Worker’s full name
- Claimant ID number assigned by the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
- Issue ID number assigned by DUA
- Copy of the signed fee agreement
- A detailed billing statement with a breakdown of time spent on each task
- Total fee amount to be charged
- Attorney’s name and address
How to request Request attorney fee approval from the Board of Review
Attorneys should submit a letter to the Board of Review requesting approval of their fee. Include the information listed above.
Mail the letter to:
Board of Review
100 Cambridge St., Suite 400
Boston, MA 02114
Attorneys should submit a letter to the Board of Review requesting approval of their fee. Include the information listed above.
Hand-deliver the letter between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to:
DUA Re-Employment Center
2 Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, MA 02111
Attorneys should submit a letter to the Board of Review requesting approval of their fee. Include the information listed above.
Fax the letter to:
Board of Review
(617) 727-5874
Next steps for Request attorney fee approval from the Board of Review
After your attorney fee approval request is submitted
The attorney must wait for an approval letter from the Board of Review before collecting any legal fees from a client. Generally, the approval process takes about 1-2 weeks from the date the Board receives the fee approval request. The Board will notify the attorney by letter with a copy sent to the client. Please note that the Board will not approve any fees until after it has rendered its decision.
More info for Request attorney fee approval from the Board of Review
The attorney fee approval process is required by section 37 of Chapter 151A of the General Laws. The purpose of section 37 is to safeguard unemployed individuals from being charged unreasonable fees.
The Board of Review does not pay attorney fees. Neither does the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Understanding the attorney fee approval process
In deciding whether to approve a fee amount, the BOR decides whether a reasonable amount of time is charged at a reasonable billing rate for the appeal. It will also consider the complexity of the case.
Examples of approvable charges include:
- Time spent reviewing the hearing record
- Legal research and writing
- Attending any Board-ordered hearing
The BOR does not generally approve charges for:
- Clerical tasks
- Time spent becoming familiar with the unemployment statute or appeal process
- Calls to the BOR for a status update
- Travel time
Attorneys must submit separate fee approval requests for legal services performed at the DUA Hearings Department level and at the BOR level. Representation at remand hearings ordered by the BOR is considered part of the BOR level.