The South Carolina Family Law Blog posted his reasons for flat fees in family law cases today. In doing so, he gave us some of the benefits clients receive from hiring attorneys for a fixed fee:
- Clients know the total cost up front, which enables them to determine prior to retaining the attorney whether or not they can afford his/her services and to budget for the attorney's fees and costs.'
- Clients have another basis upon which to compare attorneys, both in the manner they charge for their services (fixed fee vs. hourly) as well as the amount charged ($X vs. $Y).
- Clients never end up in fee disputes with their attorneys, because all fees were negotiated and agreed upon before the representation began.
- This method encourages open communication from the client to the attorney.' In hourly billing situations, clients sometimes hesitate to provide information to the attorney because they know that they will incur fees and costs for doing so.
- Clients have a higher level of trust with their lawyers, which results in a better working relationship, which frequently yields better outcomes in the clients' cases.
I could not agree more. I have been doing flat fee cases in my family law practice for at least 3 years now. It really does work better for both the client and attorney.
Source for Post: South Carolina Family Law Blog.
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