Fee Structure

Let’s face facts. No-one likes the billable hour. But, it is so engrained in attorney-client business relationships that many people accept the notion “that’s just the way it is.”

Our job is to help clients question what appears to be so that they can create what can be. There is no asterisk for legal fees. We are pleased to consider and discuss with our clients alternatives to open-ended hourly billing, such as the following:

• Monthly Retainers: As set forth in the General Counsel Services section we offer our business clients monthly retainer agreements, that provide the client a specified-bundle of services for a fixed monthly fee;
• Flat Fees: Typically, estate planning, elder law, special needs planning and residential real estate matters are billed on a flat fee basis;
• Project Fees: A fixed fee for an entire project or a specific portion thereof;
• Capped Fees: The fee for a project or a specific portion thereof will not exceed a specified amount;
• Blended Rates: The hourly rate for all personnel is the same, regardless of seniority within our firm;
• Overhead Rate with Final Payment: The fee is based on hourly rates somewhat higher than normal. During the engagement, the client pays a portion of the hourly rate (to cover our overhead) with the remainder due at the closing of a transaction;

The determination of whether an alternative billing method would be equitable is made collaboratively by our client and us. We must both be confident that the ultimate impact of the alternative billing method is predictable. Regardless of the billing methodology, we do the things that are within our control to ensure that our clients are billed fairly. We

• Enter into retainer agreements with our clients at the outset of engagements;
• Render bills that reflect the work done and (except for certain flat-fee matters) the time expended by each person whose time is billed;
• Promptly address client inquiries regarding billing practices and bills;
• Eliminate the time for portions of telephone conferences and meetings devoted to socialization;
• Assign work to staff with lower billing rates than partners;

Please note that this page is intended to be only a general discussion of our billing practices. The actual terms of our engagement by any specific client, is set forth in that client’s retainer agreement.

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