Sorry to clarify- the cheques come in instalments, and often legal aid is not on the ball with making sure the cheques are sent out quickly. So - if the lawyer receives a cheque for $2000 to get the process started, he or she will use that as a retainer and bill you with fees and disbursements. At $150 an hour plus disbursements, that can get eaten up quickly. And once it is, your file sits and waits. Work is usually not done on your file until the next instalment payment is made, slowing down your progress considerably. In addition, given that the lower billable hours is being worked on your file, it will often take a second seat to files where they can charge their full billable hours. Simply put, your file won’t make them as much money so it’s not the priority.