What's the Deal With Free Consultations, and Can I Have One?
by
Erin Culbertson on Mar. 10, 2016
Other Ethics Divorce & Family Law Family Law
Summary: One of the most frequent questions we receive at the beginning of our potential relationship with a client is "Does your firm offer free consultations?" In this article, we explain our position.
We are frequently asked to offer a free consultation to a prospective client. It is our firm’s policy not to do so, for two important reasons:
Our Time Is Our Money. As lawyers, we don’t sell a product. We offer professional services, which means the only time we earn fees is when we are working on a case or a transaction. An hour and a half spent meeting with a prospective client who may or may not hire us (or whom we may or may not be able to help) is an hour and a half “lost” to our existing clients and cases. We balance this intake/output puzzle by offering consultations at a rate much lower than our usual hourly fees. Think about it this way: your doctor doesn’t offer a free consultation - why should your lawyer?
Conflicts Of Interest. We are governed by strict ethical rules, the strictest of which governs conflicts of interest. Under our rules, if we consult with a prospective client, we are prohibited from representing anyone else involved in that matter. A person could, theoretically, go around town and consult with 5-10 lawyers to prevent the other side from being able to hire any of those lawyers (this actually happens in divorce cases with some frequency).
We hope you understand why we’ve developed this policy over the years. In exchange for a small investment we require for a consultation, we aim to deliver a great return, based on our experience and diligence.