Attorney's Fees

(1) 22000

Explanation

Analyze

• The attorney and client split the award equally. (Given)
• The attorney’s assistant was paid $1,000. (Given)
• The attorney made $10,000. (Given)
• What was the amount of the award? (Find)

Form

Let x = the amount of the award. Two key phrases in the problem help us form an equation.

• Key phrase: split the award equally
  • Translation: divide by 2
• Key phrase: paying her assistant $1,000
  • Translation: subtract $1,000

Now we translate the words of the problem into an equation.

• (The award split in half) minus (the amount paid to the assistant) is (the amount the attorney makes)
• \(\frac{x}{2} - 1000 = 10000\)

Solve

• We need to isolate x on the left side
  • \(\frac{x}{2} - 1000 = 10000\)
• To isolate the variable term \(\frac{x}{2}\), add 1000 to both sides to undo the subtraction  of 1000
  • \(\frac{x}{2} - 1000 + 1000 = 10000 + 1000\)
• Do the addition
  • \(\frac{x}{2} = 11000\)
• To isolate the variable x, multiply both sides by 2 to undo the division by 2.
  • \(2 \cdot \frac{x}{2} = 2 \cdot 11000\)
• Do the multiplication
  • x = 22000

State

The amount of the award was $22000

Check

If the award of 22000 is split in half, the attorney’s share is 11000. If 1000 is paid to her assistant, we subtract to get 

11000 - 1000 = 10000

The result, $22000, checks