If a party disputes a fee, what is the appropriate workflow?

• A. Deny the dispute without review.
• B. Ignore the dispute and continue processing.
• C. Review fee calculation, verify case details, provide an explanation, and if needed, adjust or refund with an audit trail.
• D. Recalculate fees without providing any explanation.

Answer: (C)

Handling a fee dispute hinges on verifying charges and keeping the process transparent. When a party disputes a fee, you should first review the fee calculation and verify each case detail to ensure the charge is accurate. Then you explain how the fee was derived, so the party understands the basis for the charge. If the review shows an error or overcharge, you adjust or refund as appropriate, and you keep an audit trail documenting what was changed and why. This combination of validation, explanation, and traceable adjustments ensures accuracy, fosters trust, and satisfies accountability and regulatory requirements. Skipping review, ignoring the dispute, or recalculating without documenting or explaining undermines fairness and makes it difficult to justify charges later.