Over the years, ABA surveys have indicate that legal fees only get ranked between number 5 to 7 on the lists of top concerns by clients. This fact often escapes lawyers because clients DO COMPLAIN about the cost of legal services. However, when one looks deeper, often what one uncovers is that clients are really
Legal Fees
Have You Considered Alternatives To Hourly Billing Yet?
In earlier posts I have talked about hourly billing and how it is bad for clients and lawyers, and how small firms can take advantage of alternative fee arrangements (here and here).
Ran across an interesting slant on the billable hour issue on The Greatest American Lawyer blog. The premise is that…
Billable Hour Isn’t Good for Clients or Lawyers
I have long advocated that the billable hour is not only bad for clients, but bad for lawyers too. From a client’s perspective it is like government work, that is, cost-plus, because the more the lawyer works (efficiently or otherwise) the more the lawyer makes. From the attorney’s standpoint once he or she has created…
Alternative Billing for Small Firms
Thanks to The Greatest American Lawyer for pointing out Lawyers Weekly USA’s article by Sylvia Hsieh on alternatives to hourly billing by small firms.
In an earlier post I pointed out how I believe small firms can get an advantage on larger firms by proposing alternative fee arrangements. Sylvia points out that “[S]mall firms…
Clients Abhor Surprises
In all my years in the legal marketing business, one of the most important lessons learned is that clients do not like surprises. Do any of us? Many years ago as an in-house marketing director, I produced a video in which clients stated their expectations of their outside law firms. I shared this with…
Alternative Fees vs. Billable Hour
Small firms can gain an advantage by looking seriously at alternatives to billing by the hour. Although large firms bill mainly based on hourly rates, they do use alternative billing such as fixed fees, discounted fees, premium based on results, etc. But they do not do much of it. Consultant Jim Calloway co-authored an…