Friday, January 15, 2010

Attorney Fees and Services

Think About What You Are Getting.

That is what I read as the point in 3 Geeks and a Law Blog's Cost Recovery…Such a deal:

You can see it in recent news items discussing the attitudes of General Counsels at large corporations as they struggle with reducing costs with major law firms. They are negotiating hourly rates aggressively and questioning every item that appears on their bill. The question of whether or not the hourly billing model has gone the way of the dodo has been debating extensively, including by 3Geeks’ own Toby Brown on this page. I think the hourly rate issue should be separate from the online research charges that appear on the bill. As you can see in my analysis below, these charges actually reflect the efficiencies these services provide.
I no linger favor the hourly rate in my practice, preferring flat fees, but I have to admit that this is a good argument for those using an hourly rate.

More importantly, the article touches on what every client should know and what every lawyer should provde: what the clients are getting for their money.