Start with the specific disagreement
A retainer can purchase availability, a defined set of outputs or a quantity of work. Disputes arise when the client and agency assume different models. Read the arrangement before calculating “unused hours” or asking for money back. Then compare what was included with the work requested and performed during the relevant period.
Work through the facts, one step at a time
Identify what the retainer buys
Look for capacity, deliverables, response commitments, hours or a combination. Check rollover and expiry wording. A monthly fee alone does not explain whether unused capacity can be carried forward or refunded.
Reconcile the relevant period
List requests, completed outputs, time records if applicable and delays caused by either side. Keep out-of-scope work separate. If the agency says capacity was reserved, ask how that relates to the agreed service rather than demanding an unrelated minute-by-minute account.
Discuss a workable adjustment
Clarify the remaining period, future deliverables and any disputed charge. If changing the retainer, write down the new model and when it starts. Avoid applying a newly agreed rule retrospectively without saying so.
What this can look like
A business pays for access to ten hours of design capacity each month but assumes unused hours accumulate. The agency believes the capacity expires monthly. Reviewing the rollover wording is more useful than debating how busy the agency appeared to be.
This is an invented scenario to explain the approach, not a customer result or a prediction of your outcome.
Records worth gathering
- Retainer terms
- Requests during the billing period
- Delivery or time records
- Rollover discussions
Keep originals and prepare copies of the relevant parts. Redact unrelated personal details before sharing. Explain any gaps in the record rather than filling them with assumptions.
Open a clearer conversation
Edits stay on this page and are lost when you leave. Nothing is sent automatically. This is a discussion starter, not a legal notice or settlement agreement.
Before you agree to the next step
Do not assume all retainers operate alike. The label does not determine refunds, rollover or notice requirements, and any legal conclusion needs the relevant agreement and local rules.
Put any proposed outcome into specific terms: who will act, what they will do, the amount if money is involved, and the date. Identify what remains unresolved. An invitation, a discussion and a signed agreement are different stages.
Can unused hours be carried forward?
Check the agreed arrangement. If it is unclear, discuss a specific treatment of the current balance and define the rule for future periods instead of treating an assumption as an established entitlement.
A private place to prepare your side
SettleBetween provides private AI guidance for each person and a shared space to discuss approved information. You choose what to share and whether to agree. Availability depends on both parties’ locations and the dispute type.
Free to start. The case starter pays $79 only after both parties sign. The invited party never pays the agreement fee. See included access and pricing.
Prepare your side freeAI can make mistakes. This guide is practical preparation, not legal advice. Use appropriate official schemes or independent advice when needed. A discussion here does not pause external deadlines or guarantee payment.