More about Fixed Fees.

Fixing fees shifts the focus away from paying for  time to paying for  knowledge, skills and resources.

Why don't other lawyers charge fixed fees?

Lawyers often quote a fee for sales and purchases of homes and for other routine work but rarely for complicated business transactions and court disputes.

There are many variables in complex matters. For example, a court case may settle early or be decided by a judge after an expensive trial, an opposing party may be easy or difficult to deal with or new disputes may arise along the way. Because of this, lawyers generally prefer to charge for  time spent and documents produced in all but routine matters. This reduces their financial risk in providing a service but does nothing to reduce the financial uncertainty faced by the client.

Why do we offer fixed fees?

We have two main reasons:

1. You benefit because fixed fees:

• reduce uncertainty about how much you need to pay;
• help you to budget for your matter;
• help you to realistically assess costs versus benefits of each step along the way;
• reassure you of our commitment  to progress your matter as efficiently and effectively as possible as fees are not taken until work is completed;
• enable you and ReesLaw to work together on your matter without you worrying about being charged extra every time we communicate with you or anyone else, prepare documents, research the law or attend on any other matter within the scope of our retainer;

2. Our relationship with you is enhanced because our fee is agreed at the outset and thereafter we can focus on fearless and effective representation.

How does fixed fee pricing work?

Scope of Work:   We discuss your matter with you to assess whether it is suitable for fixed fee pricing and, if so, develop a plan with you. Usually the plan covers the first stage of your case as it is often not possible to quote for a later stage without completing the earlier.

Cost:   Our legal team sets a fair price for the work contemplated in the plan and we present you with a written quote.You may prefer paying our fees at an agreed hourly rate. This option is always available.

Value to You:   You assess the value to you of our quote.  We invite you to seek independent advice about it.

The Agreement:  You retain us by signing a Legal Costs Agreement covering the work.

Terms of Payment:   If you choose a fixed fee option, you pay the agreed fee into our Trust Account . At the completion of the work we bill you and transfer the fee from our Trust Account to our Business Account. In exceptional cases where a client is unable to pay a fee up front and is unable to obtain finance, we consider working on a deferred fee basis.

Next Steps:  If, at the end of a stage, there is more to be done we will consult with you about a fee plan for the next stage.

Are fixed fees always available?

Fixed fees are not suitable in every case. Some disputes involve such difficult and uncertain legal issues or such high levels of conflict that it is not realistic, or fair, to quote a fee. It's a bit like asking a taxi driver to to quote a fare without knowing your destination.

But we are often able to break down a matter into stages and submit a quote at the beginning of each.

Remember, you always have a choice of paying the old way, that is, for hours spent and documents produced.

What about variations?

Our fee may be varied if unforeseen circumstances arise which require work beyond the scope of the Legal Costs Agreement. This might occur, for example, when an opposing party brings an unexpected court application or a party to Family Law proceedings abducts a child. It is fair and reasonable to propose a variation to cover extra work to respond to such events.

Call us.

Fixed fees remove the fear of the monthly legal bill and enables you to budget for your legal costs, thereby reducing your stress during emotional and often difficult times in your life.

Please contact us at ReesLaw on (07) 4632 8484 to discuss how we can help you.