Comments on: How to Save Thousands in Legal Fees http://www.alexismartinneely.com/how-to-save-thousands-in-legal-fees/ Being Afraid and Doing It Anyway Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:53:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Traci D. Ellis http://www.alexismartinneely.com/how-to-save-thousands-in-legal-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2849 Traci D. Ellis Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:08:48 +0000 http://www.alexismartinneely.com/?p=1409#comment-2849 Yikes, Alexis, I'm still a practicing attorney, so don't throw me under the bus like this! LOL Seriously, I have turned my practice upside down. I'm moving out of my expensive brick and mortar office at the end of the month, and I've licensed virtual law office technology to automate some of the "administrivia" of running a law practice. I have a new website to target women owned small businesses, and I'm slowly warming up to the fact that to meet the legal needs of the small business community, I'm going to have to do something radical with my pricing. I thought ditching hourly billing for flat fee billing was radical, LOL! So, I'm intrigued by the "membership" concept. I definitely want to learn more about that. Yikes, Alexis, I'm still a practicing attorney, so don't throw me under the bus like this! LOL Seriously, I have turned my practice upside down. I'm moving out of my expensive brick and mortar office at the end of the month, and I've licensed virtual law office technology to automate some of the “administrivia” of running a law practice. I have a new website to target women owned small businesses, and I'm slowly warming up to the fact that to meet the legal needs of the small business community, I'm going to have to do something radical with my pricing. I thought ditching hourly billing for flat fee billing was radical, LOL! So, I'm intrigued by the “membership” concept. I definitely want to learn more about that.

]]> By: Alexis Martin Neely http://www.alexismartinneely.com/how-to-save-thousands-in-legal-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2822 Alexis Martin Neely Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:08:27 +0000 http://www.alexismartinneely.com/?p=1409#comment-2822 Love it, these are awesome real world, in the trenches examples of how to save money on legal fees. I'd encourage you to definitely look for a lawyer who will charge you on a flat-fee, preferably membership based model instead of hourly and by the transaction. Love it, these are awesome real world, in the trenches examples of how to save money on legal fees. I'd encourage you to definitely look for a lawyer who will charge you on a flat-fee, preferably membership based model instead of hourly and by the transaction.

]]> By: mariabrophy http://www.alexismartinneely.com/how-to-save-thousands-in-legal-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-2811 mariabrophy Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:01:20 +0000 http://www.alexismartinneely.com/?p=1409#comment-2811 I'm in the business of art licensing and so I have to use legal agreements for most of my clients. Attorney's fees can get hefty. I have three ways to save money on it:<br>1.) I paid to have one agreement made up that I use over and over, and I just make minor adjustments to it so that it works for each new client;<br>2.) If I have to use an attorney, I ask for a price quote up front. That encourages the attorney to keep to that price.<br>3.) Use an attorney that's located in a state that's cheaper to live in. I'm near Los Angeles, but LA attorneys will charge $450 / hour. I use a great attorney in Kansas who only charges $250/hour. She can charge less because it's so much cheaper to do business in Kansas.<br><br>Once I asked for a price quote - got $1,500. The bill arrived and it was $3,000. I called the attorney and said "you quoted me $1,500. That's what I budgeted." So he dropped it back down.<br><br>Make it clear to the attorney what your budget is, and if they care to keep your business, they will try to stay within it. I'm in the business of art licensing and so I have to use legal agreements for most of my clients. Attorney's fees can get hefty. I have three ways to save money on it:
1.) I paid to have one agreement made up that I use over and over, and I just make minor adjustments to it so that it works for each new client;
2.) If I have to use an attorney, I ask for a price quote up front. That encourages the attorney to keep to that price.
3.) Use an attorney that's located in a state that's cheaper to live in. I'm near Los Angeles, but LA attorneys will charge $450 / hour. I use a great attorney in Kansas who only charges $250/hour. She can charge less because it's so much cheaper to do business in Kansas.

Once I asked for a price quote – got $1,500. The bill arrived and it was $3,000. I called the attorney and said “you quoted me $1,500. That's what I budgeted.” So he dropped it back down.

Make it clear to the attorney what your budget is, and if they care to keep your business, they will try to stay within it.

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