The Rummy principle of drawing and discarding with a view to melding appears in Chinese card games at least in the early 19th century and perhaps as early as the 18th century and is, in fact, the essence of Mah-jong.
DEFINITION of 'Retainer Fee'. An upfront cost incurred by an individual in order to ensure the services of a consultant, freelancer, etc. A retainer fee is paid most commonly to individual third-parties who have been engaged by the payer to perform a service for them or on their behalf.These fees are almost always paid upfront and only ensure the commitment of the receiver, but does not guarantee an outcome or final product.ommunity Property. The most common form of retainer fees apply to lawyers, who in most cases require those seeking services to provide an upfront retainer fee, for example $500.
A retainer fee is an advance payment that a client makes to his or her lawyer before the lawyer begins working on the case.It is similar to a down payment and allows the lawyer to draw funds for various fees as the case proceeds.etainer fees are different than having a lawyer on retainer.. Having a lawyer on retainer means that the client pays a small fee to the lawyer on a regular basis in order to keep the lawyer on hand to perform legal work anytime it is needed.