Medical Record Retrieval Cost
for Law Firms
What you pay depends less on the sticker and more on whether the bill is firm overhead or a case disbursement. LlamaLab bills per case and per request, with no platform or seat fee, so the cost can sit on the settlement statement. A flat fee per case option is available, and credit back can be structured for cases that do not qualify or that the firm drops. Records come back in 4 days on average, and 30 to 40% come back the same day.
A third-party retrieval invoice tied to a named matter is a case disbursement. Staff time and monthly software seats are overhead. LlamaLab bills per case and per request, with no platform or seat fee. Only the retrieval is billed. The platform is included at no additional charge with every request. Published Basic rates are $50 per facility request and a $150 case setup fee. The $50 path is fully recoverable against the settlement. A flat fee per case option is available, and LlamaLab covers the per-page and copy costs on that option. Credit back can be structured for cases that do not qualify and for cases the firm drops. Records come back in 4 days on average, with 30 to 40% same day.
Overhead vs a case disbursement
The ethics question is not whether records are necessary. It is who pays for the labor of getting them.
In-house chase time
When a paralegal spends the afternoon on hold with a hospital records desk, that time is payroll. The contingency fee is supposed to cover it. Nothing comes back at settlement.
- Staff wages stay inside firm overhead
- Monthly software seats are office infrastructure
- No invoice that belongs on the closing statement
Vendor invoice on the file
Send the same work to a retrieval service and the accounting changes. The vendor bills the matter. Most contingency agreements let the firm advance it and take it off the top of the recovery.
- Invoice names the client and the matter
- Per-case and per-request billing, no seat fee
- Client sees the itemized line at closing
What changes on the settlement statement
The ethics and retainer language is in Medical record retrieval cost recovery for lawyers.
What firms actually pay
Per facility, per request
Published Basic rates are $50 per facility request for medical or billing records, plus a $150 case setup fee. That path is fully recoverable against the settlement. A flat fee per case option is available, and LlamaLab covers the per-page and copy costs on that option. See current plans on the pricing page.
No platform or seat fee
Only the retrieval is billed. The platform is included at no additional charge with every request. There is no monthly login charge next to the retrieval bill. That is what keeps the cost classified as a case expense instead of infrastructure.
Itemized to the matter
Each invoice carries the client name and your matter number. That is the document that supports a disbursement line at closing.
Credit back can be structured for cases that do not qualify and for cases the firm drops. For plan details, see pricing. To see how the product runs, go to LlamaLab retrieval.
Frequently asked questions
How much does medical record retrieval cost for law firms?
Vendor retrieval is billed per case and per request, not as a monthly platform or seat fee. Published Basic rates are $50 per facility request and a $150 case setup fee. The $50 per request path is fully recoverable against the settlement. A flat fee per case option is available, and LlamaLab covers the per-page and copy costs on that option. Credit back can be structured for cases that do not qualify and for cases the firm drops. Records come back in 4 days on average, with 30 to 40% same day.
Is medical record retrieval a recoverable case expense?
Yes, when an outside vendor invoices a named matter. That bill is an out-of-pocket litigation expense most contingency agreements let the firm advance and deduct from the recovery before the fee. In-house paralegal time and software seats are firm overhead.
Why is in-house record retrieval not recoverable from the client?
Staff wages are the cost of running the office. ABA Formal Opinion 93-379 says a lawyer may not charge a client for overhead generally associated with staffing a practice. Calling a records desk is that overhead, even when the call is about one case.
Does LlamaLab charge a platform or seat fee?
No. LlamaLab only bills for the retrieval, which is fully recoverable. The platform is included at no additional charge with every request. There is no recurring platform, license, or seat fee sitting next to the retrieval invoice, so the full amount can stay on the settlement statement as a case disbursement.
Does LlamaLab offer a flat fee per case?
Yes. A flat fee per case option is available. On that option, LlamaLab covers the per-page and copy costs. Flat fee is the mass tort and predictability option. Per-request billing at $50 is the default otherwise. Personal injury firms are not required to use flat fee.
Is credit back available if a case does not qualify or the firm drops it?
Credit back can be structured for cases that do not qualify and for cases the firm drops. It is available. It is not automatic on every case.
How fast do records come back?
Records come back in 4 days on average, and 30 to 40% come back the same day. Traditional in-house or legacy vendor retrieval typically takes 30 to 60 days per provider.
Where can lawyers read the ethics rules on retrieval cost recovery?
See our guide on medical record retrieval cost recovery for lawyers. It covers ABA Formal Opinion 93-379, Model Rule 1.8(e), why Rule 54(d) is the wrong hook for a settlement, and what the retainer and closing statement should show.
Related pages
See how LlamaLab runs retrieval
The product page: features, workflow, and how to start a case.
Retrieval for lawyers
The category guide for firms comparing medical record retrieval services.
VA medical record retrieval
Why VA files run long, and the Camp Lejeune 90 days to 4 result.
Medical malpractice retrieval
Completeness and demand timing when the chart has to hold up.
Keep retrieval on the case ledger
Per-case billing, no seat fee, and records in 4 days on average with 30 to 40% same day. Submit your first case free.