Lodestar method

The lodestar starts with two numbers, a reasonable hourly rate for lawyers of similar skill in the area, and the number of hours that were reasonably needed to do the work. Multiplying those gives the lodestar figure. Courts can adjust the lodestar up or down based on factors like the difficulty of the case, the quality of the result, and whether the lawyers took unusual risk. Detailed time records and clear billing descriptions are usually required to support a lodestar request. Cutting hours that were duplicative, excessive, or poorly explained is a common move when courts review fee requests.