We’ve shredded our time sheets
What’s the first thing many lawyers do at the beginning of a meeting? Look at their watches. What other service do you pay for in six minute segments? Hourly billing does not benefit you. Hourly billing is inefficient. The longer it takes to do a job, the more the law firm makes. Good for the lawyers. Bad for you. Hourly billing causes unpleasant surprises. You don’t know what you’re going to pay. You will know at Trustlawyer, LLC.
What is No Surprises Billing?
Before we go to work on an estate planning or estate settlement engagement, you will know exactly how much you are going to pay. You will not be charged for every tenth of an hour.
Can hourly billing lead to failure of communication?
Estate planning is much more than “just the facts, Ma’am.” We want you to be able to discuss what’s important to you without having to think: “this question is going to cost me $100.”
How does No Surprises Billing work?
Before we can quote a fee, we need to meet with you and learn about your unique situation. Only then can we propose a plan that makes sense. We will explain it to you in plain Engilsn. Once you have decided on a course of action, we will give you a fixed fee quote.
What if I want to make changes to my plan before I sign my documnents?
Sometimes, after after we’ve produced documents in accordance with our client’s original intentions, he or she may want to make substantial, unforeseen, changes. If those changes require redrafting major provisions we will discuss a “change order,” detailing the revisions and any additional fee. These change orders are quite rare.
Are there times when you charge by the hour?
If we can, even in complex planning situations, we try to divide our job into discrete phases so that we can quote fixed fees for each of them. Although we try to avoid hourly billing as much as possible, occasionally an engagement may be so unique that we cannot quote a fixed fee. We also do some of our estate and trust litigation on an hourly basis.
How can I learn more about No Surprises Billing?
Call us. We’ll be happy to answer all of your questions about our approach.