How long do I need to wait? Note: The post was asking about how to handle it when recruiters send candidate resumes and you want to hire them but no discussion

How long do I need to wait? Note: The post was asking about how to handle it when recruiters send candidate resumes and you want to hire them but no discussion of referral fee has already been done. How to handle it? Since it seems unlikely to me that there could be any legal obligation, does that mean only a smaller fee should be paid or what?