Legal Fees
Lamson & Cutner’s clients benefit
from fixed legal fees
As a result of the 2008-2009 economic crisis, law firms have been re-evaluating their business models and how they bill their clients. Recent articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have described how some firms are being forced away from their long-standing practices of billing clients by the hour. While hourly-rate billing has advantages for law firms, this practice leaves clients in the dark about the ultimate cost of their legal services, and in some cases may lead to higher fees than necessary.
Lamson & Cutner’s policy on legal fees is another factor that sets it apart from many other law firms. L&C believes that its clients have the right to know – in advance – exactly how much their legal services will cost. If another firm is telling you "trust us, our fees are fair and reasonable," but not telling how much their services will actually cost – it doesn’t have to be that way.
Lamson & Cutner has always provided virtually all of its legal services on a fixed fee basis. As a result, L&C’s clients are able to determine for themselves whether the law firm’s services will be cost-effective for them, before incurring any obligation. L&C’s fixed fees are always stated in writing in a clearly understandable fee agreement that also provides all of the terms and conditions relating to its services.
In rare instances where a client requests services for which Lamson & Cutner is unable to quote a fixed fee, they will explain why they are unable to do so, and will discuss with the client other possible methods of determining a fair amount of compensation for their services. Again, any fee agreement will be clearly set forth in advance in writing.
Lamson & Cutner wants to focus its efforts and energies on getting the best results for its clients. Once L&C starts work on a matter, neither the firm nor the client wants to be distracted by concerns about legal fees. L&C is successful in this regard because it tells its clients in advance exactly how much its services will cost, and clients never pay a penny more for those services than the amount agreed upon at the outset.