Inputs you need for attorney fee calculations in New Hampshire

Inputs you will need

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Attorney Fee calculator.

Before you run attorney-fee calculations in New Hampshire with DocketMath, gather the numbers your fee theory depends on. DocketMath can compute fee totals and scenarios, but it can’t determine what fee basis applies without the inputs you provide.

Below is a practical checklist of the inputs that most commonly drive attorney-fee calculations in New Hampshire.

Core inputs (nearly always needed)

Inputs that affect totals and timelines

Statute of limitations input (important for “eligible” work)

New Hampshire’s default civil statute of limitations is 3 years under RSA 508:4. DocketMath can help you model a calculation window, but whether particular fees are legally eligible for recovery is a legal question tied to your claim and timing.

For timing work, you’ll typically compare:

• Case dates (or work dates) vs.
• The end of the 3-year limitations window based on RSA 508:4

Statutory reference: RSA 508:4 (3-year default limitations period)
Source: https://www.thelaw.com/law/new-hampshire-statute-of-limitations-civil-actions.391/?utm_source=openai

Where to find each input

Use your case documents and billing records—your goal is to copy consistent values into DocketMath without mixing definitions.

Most inputs live in the case file, contracts, or docket entries. Dates usually come from the triggering event notice; rates and caps come from governing documents or statute; and amounts come from the ledger or judgment. Record the source for each value so the run is reproducible.

Dates

• Case start date

  • Retainer agreement effective date
  • First engagement email / conflict check start
  • Court filing date (if fees begin counting at filing)
• Case end date

  • Settlement date
  • Dismissal order date
  • “Fees incurred through” date on your billing narrative
• **Relevant trigger date (limitations window start)

  • Your complaint or demand letter chronology
  • The earliest date you’re using as the start of accrual for your analysis
  • Any prior filing or stated timeline in your pleadings

Hours and rates

• Attorney time entries

  • Billing invoice line items (e.g., 1.6 hours for drafting)
  • Timekeeping export (e.g., from a legal billing platform)
• Hourly rates

  • Retainer agreement
  • Signed fee schedule
  • Invoice “rate” fields by attorney

Costs

• Expense receipts and invoice summaries
• “Costs” section of invoices (often separated from attorney time)

Fee recovery basis

• Contract language (for contractual fee claims)
• Statutory basis you’re applying (if you’re modeling a statutory fee pathway)
• Prior court orders (if you’re mapping what was awarded)

Run it

Open DocketMath’s attorney-fee calculator here: /tools/attorney-fee

Enter your gathered values. Your output will change depending on which inputs you include and how you structure the timeframe.

Enter the inputs in DocketMath and run the Attorney Fee calculation to generate a clean breakdown: Run the calculator.

Suggested workflow in DocketMath (fast and consistent)

1. Pick the scenario

   • Full billing total, or
   • Time-window-limited billing (aligned with your RSA 508:4 timeline)
2. Enter attorney-hours data

   • If multiple attorneys billed time, add them as separate rate/hour groups so the blended rate stays accurate.
3. Enter rates

   • Use the actual invoiced hourly rate per attorney, not a negotiated “average,” unless your invoice itself provides only a blended rate.
4. Set cost inclusion

   • Choose whether you’re calculating “fees only” or “fees + costs.”
5. **Apply the date window (if you’re modeling RSA 508:4 eligibility)

   • Use the case/work dates to include only the portion you want reflected in your estimate.
6. Review summary totals

   • DocketMath typically returns:

     • Total attorney fees (hours × rates)
     • Total costs (if included)
     • Combined totals (if you choose that output)

How outputs typically change when you adjust inputs

Reminder (not legal advice): DocketMath can estimate amounts using your inputs, but it can’t determine the legal eligibility of attorney-fee recovery. If you’re modeling whether fees fall inside the 3-year general limitations period under RSA 508:4, ensure your “trigger” date and work-date boundaries are aligned with your records and your claim’s timing.

Keep your modeling defensible

Before you finalize the estimate:

• Confirm the hour totals equal the invoice totals (or explain any deliberate exclusions).
• Check whether your rate inputs match the invoice line items.
• Document whether you included:

  • only attorney hours, or
  • attorney hours + costs.

Related reading

• Worked example: attorney fee calculations in Vermont — Worked example with real statute citations
• Attorney Fees Guide for Alaska
• Attorney Fees Guide for American Samoa