Some Law Firms Charge By The Hour For Estate Planning W
Q: Some law firms charge by the hour for estate planning work; others charge by a flat fee. Ask them up front - don't see anyone who won't give you a free half hour for an initial consultation.
A: If someone asks if he/she can have a free consultation, I generally decline. Why should he/she expect one? If I consult with a specialist doctor, I expect to pay for his/her time. Indeed, the first visit to a doctor usually takes more time (and costs more money) than the subsequent visits. Why is it be any different with a lawyer with a specialized practice? The first meeting is often the most valuable, since it's the time when issues can be spotted. It's also work that can't easily be delegated to a junior person. I suspect that people who ask in the initial phone call if they can have a "free consultation" are unlikely to ever become paying clients. In most cases, I tell them "no," and let them get their free consultations elsewhere. As the law becomes more complicated, and as technology makes the drafting more efficient, the initial meeting has become a larger portion of the total cost of the work in most estate planning matters. .