Robert, does your fee sheet state what the clerk charges for copies as well as what you charge?  If not I'd have to disagree and state they are in fact disguised costs.

Most of your clients believe those to be passed-through costs.  That's the problem here--not what you believe or what you want to be compensated for but rather, how you're representing it.  And when I see "copy costs" on your fee sheets I presume unless I know otherwise those are being passed through.  I certainly don't think your time spent making those copies is going to justify additional invoicing at as much as a 100% increase over actual costs.  And I know from experience that in many counties, there is no additional time spent for those copies, or mere seconds that would not in any way suggest an abstractor would be reasonable in adding a surcharge in the guise of a copy fee.

Thank you for shedding some light on this somewhat underhanded but apparently commonplace practice, I'll keep it in mind.