Effective Date: August 12, 2026
1. Scope and Controlling Documents
This Refund Policy provides general information about refund requests made to Law Office of Charisma Fozard, PLLC, doing business as High Tide Legal. A client’s written engagement agreement, invoice, consultation booking terms, applicable law, and North Carolina professional-conduct requirements also apply. If this Refund Policy conflicts with a controlling engagement agreement or professional obligation, the engagement agreement or professional obligation controls.
2. Legal Fees
Fees may be designated in an engagement agreement as advance fees, flat fees, earned-upon-receipt fees, retainers, hourly fees, or another permitted arrangement. The characterization and handling of a payment depend on the engagement agreement, the services involved, and applicable professional-conduct and trust-account rules.
A payment described as earned upon receipt is not necessarily nonrefundable in every circumstance. High Tide Legal will provide any
refund required by an engagement agreement, applicable law, or professional-conduct rule, including any refund required because a fee is unearned or would otherwise be clearly excessive.
Subject to those controlling requirements:
- A refund request must be submitted within seven calendar days after
payment. - No discretionary refund will be provided for legal work already
completed. - If part of the agreed work has been completed, any refund eligibility will be evaluated based on the engagement agreement, services performed, amounts properly earned, expenses incurred, and applicable professional obligations.
- Dissatisfaction with an outcome does not by itself create a right to a refund, because legal results cannot be guaranteed.
3. Consultations
Consultation fees are nonrefundable once a consultation has been booked, except where a refund is required by applicable law or professional-conduct rules or where High Tide Legal expressly agrees otherwise in writing.
If High Tide Legal cancels a paid consultation and does not provide a reasonable rescheduling option, High Tide Legal may issue a refund or credit, as appropriate.
4. Filing Fees and Other Costs
Filing fees and other client costs are separate from legal fees. A client may request return of unused or uncommitted filing-fee funds. Amounts already paid to a court, government agency, process server, vendor, or other third party generally cannot be refunded by High Tide Legal. Any refund will be limited to funds that remain refundable and are not properly applied or committed to the client’s matter.
This policy does not limit a client’s right to receive any other funds that must be returned under an engagement agreement or professional-conduct requirement.
5. How to Request a Refund
Send a written request within seven calendar days after payment to info@hightide.law with:
- Your full name.
- The client or matter name, if different.
- Date and amount of payment.
- Invoice, receipt, or transaction number, if available.
- The amount requested.
- A short explanation of the request.
- The best telephone number and email address for follow-up.
Do not include unnecessary confidential information in the request.
6. Review and Processing
High Tide Legal will review the request in light of the engagement agreement, services performed, costs incurred or committed, payment method, and applicable professional obligations. Additional information may be requested. Approval of a prior refund does not require approval of another request.
Approved refunds ordinarily will be returned to the original payment method where reasonably possible. Bank, card-network, and payment-processor timelines may affect when funds become available. No cash refund will be issued for a payment made by another method unless High Tide Legal agrees in writing.
7. Chargebacks and Billing Questions
Please contact High Tide Legal at info@hightide.law or (984) 201-9190 before initiating a chargeback so that we can review and attempt to resolve the billing issue. Nothing in this policy waives any right that cannot legally be waived.
8. Contact
High Tide Legal
Law Office of Charisma Fozard, PLLC
600 Park Offices Dr., Suite 300
Durham, NC 27709
Email: info@hightide.law
Phone: (984) 201-9190
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