Attorney's fee is a chiefly
United States term for compensation for legal services performed by an
attorney (
lawyer or
law firm) for a client, in or out of court. It may be an hourly, flat-rate or contingent fee. Attorney fees are separate from fines, compensatory and
punitive damages, and (except in
Nevada) from
court costs in a legal case. Under the "
American rule", attorney fees are usually not paid by the losing party to the winning party in a case, except pursuant to specific
statutory or
contractual rights.