What are you paying for when you go to an attorney? His work or his knowledge.
We had a client come in today for advice on how to get her late husband's name off the deed of their house. It's been too long to probate (in TX you have to probate within 4 years of death) and there wasn't really an estate anyway.
The KNOWLEDGE my boss has is extensive. He's the smartest attorney I've ever worked with.
So, he knows exactly what she needs. She needs a document called an Affidavit of Heirship. He sends me in to get the information for the document while he takes care of an emergency client (I swear, we don't do criminal law, what is up with the clients with their "emergencies"?).
I take the information, go back to my desk, and 20 minutes later, it's done. I let my boss read it through, then sit on it for a couple of hours. I called her back and told her it was ready to pick up.
For that? We get $250. I'd say it took at total of 50 minutes (including the conference with her).
And the sad thing? If she had gone to another attorney she would have been charged at least $500.
So what are our clients paying for?
Attorney Fees
March 25th, 2006 at 03:26 am
2 Responses to “Attorney Fees”
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March 25th, 2006 at 04:14 am 1143260073
Oh, by the way, your boss's emergency client was either an extramarital girlfriend or a cigarette break :P (joking, i'm sure he's an upstanding dude)
March 30th, 2006 at 07:45 pm 1143747919
If most people don't have access to the knowledge your lawyer boss has, then they'll willingly pay for it. I've found that to be the case with people who are otherwise quite intelligent but who can't write well. they're always so appreciative of the work i do for them, while to me it's second nature.