The Collaborative International Dictionary
Retainer \Re*tain"er\, n.
One who, or that which, retains.
One who is retained or kept in service; an attendant; an adherent; a hanger-on.
Hence, a servant, not a domestic, but occasionally attending and wearing his master's livery.
--Cowell.-
(Law)
The act of a client by which he engages a lawyer or counselor to manage his cause.
The act of withholding what one has in his hands by virtue of some right.
A fee paid to engage a lawyer or counselor to maintain a cause, or to prevent his being employed by the opposing party in the case; -- called also retaining fee.
--Bouvier.
--Blackstone.
The act of keeping dependents, or the state of being in dependence.
--Bacon.
Usage examples of "retaining fee".
Honour amongst maid-servants, you would have thought so, had you but seen how Sophy and Lucy, after receiving the Duke's retaining fee, worked for his pleasure in hopes of getting a refresher when he retired.
First I would like to suggest that you engage me as your counsel and hand me one dollar as a retaining fee.
He then dispatched one of his heralds to ride night and day to demand help from the nearest reputable sorcerer, one to whom he already paid a retaining fee as insurance against just such happenings.
Put Willie in shirt-sleeves instead of a bath-robe, and fix him up with a pair of the Tried and Proven, and I'll give you three thousand dollars for that picture and a retaining fee of four thousand a year to work for us and nobody else for any number of years you care to mention.
He asked neither pension nor retaining fee, but, if they deemed him worthy, would they write him a testimonial?