Fee Transparency

Chris and I both previously worked for medium to large regional law firms, so we are intimately familiar with the “shock and awe” factor many folks have experienced when engaging attorneys for legal matters. Nothing is worse than receiving an invoice from a law firm that is much higher than you expected.  So, when we founded Baker Heath earlier this year, one of our core goals was to provide transparency to our clients—especially transparency with respect to fees.  

 One key strategy we employ to provide transparency to our clients is “flat fee pricing.”  

 Here’s how it works:

 1.    We set up a short, complimentary meeting or call to discuss your legal needs.

2.    We prepare a flat fee proposal that describes the services we provide, the price you pay, when payments are due, and the turnaround time for deliverables.  

3.    You sign the flat fee proposal, and we get to work on your project. 

 Providing certainty around legal expenses is an obvious benefit to flat fee pricing.  However, there are some other benefits to flat fee arrangements.

First, we want to encourage two-way communication with our clients.  We found that putting clients “on the clock” for short calls and meetings disincentivized open lines of communication.  By including calls and meetings in the flat fee pricing, our clients don’t have to worry about calling us or asking questions. And to top it off, when you call us, we answer (not an answering service). 

 Second, we believe flat fee pricing promotes our role as “counselors” of law.  We want our clients to understand the legal issues involved in their project, and we also want them to have a strong understanding of any documents they are signing.  When clients learn the “why” behind our recommendations, they are more likely to avoid similar legal issues in the future.  

 Finally, we understand that legal fees are burdensome for many families and businesses.  By providing the cost of legal services up front, it ensures that we can set aside time for client projects, but more importantly, it allows us to address any special payment terms our clients may need.  

 There are some limited instances where flat fee pricing just doesn’t work.  In those instances, we promise to give you an expected range of fees, and we promise to keep you updated on any changes to the scope of the project that may impact the estimate.  Even when flat fee pricing doesn’t work, we don’t charge for short calls, emails, or text messages.