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 is a fee paid to an attorney or other professional in advance, for services. Often, retainers are paid monthly, based on an estimate of the amount of work to be done for the client each month.A retainer might work like this: You would pay your attorney $500 a month for legal services during that month.If you have a question or need a matter handled, it comes off the retainer amount.ttorneys bill for their work in various ways. 1  An attorney might charge by the hour. 2  Attorneys may also charge a flat fee for a specific assignment. 3  An attorney might also agree to work on contingency, meaning you don't pay unless the result of the work (usually a case in litigation) is settled favorably for the client.