Up-Front Pricing FAQ
What is Up-Front Pricing?
Up-Front Pricing is our approach to helping clients control their legal expenses. You will always know how much our work is going to cost before we do it. It’s our solution to the problems of hourly billing.
What’s wrong with hourly billing?
How many other things do you buy without knowing the price beforehand? With hourly billing, you never know how much you’re going to pay for a case or project until after it’s done.
Isn’t there a conflict of interests with hourly billing?
Yes. Hourly billing pits the interests of the client against the interests of the law firm. If a project takes longer to complete — which is bad for the client — the law firm makes more money — which is good for the law firm. And most firms have annual billing requirements for their lawyers, who don’t receive bonuses if they fail to bill a certain number of hours. With that kind of pressure, how hard are your lawyers going to try to keep your billable hours down?
Why is Up-Front Pricing better for clients?
Nobody wants surprises on their legal bills. That’s why we tell you how much a job is going to cost before we do it. At Shepherd, you don’t pay for our time — you pay for the work we do and the value you receive.
How does Up-Front Pricing work?
First, we meet with you and learn about your particular problem. Then we figure out the best course of action consistent with your business goals. We then decide what the scope of that action is, and we tell you the price.
What if the scope of the job changes?
If the scope of the job changes — the opposing lawyer files an unexpected motion, for example — we will send you a change order setting out the new scope and the price for that change.
How do I compare your rates with hourly-billing law firms?
With Up-Front Pricing, we give you a price for the job we’re going to do for you. Firms that bill hourly will usually quote you a rate. You don’t know the price unless they can tell you how many hours the job is going to take. And most firms are reluctant to commit to their prediction of the number of hours.
How can I learn more about Up-Front Pricing?
Call one of the Shepherd lawyers. We’ll be happy to answer all of your questions on why this approach is better for you.
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