At WLG Firm, PLLC, experience has shown us that hourly billing places a disproportionate emphasis on an attorney’s time rather than the service being rendered.
In contrast, by knowing how much a particular matter will cost, a client can shift their focus on working collaboratively with his or her attorney to achieve the desired result instead of dreading what that final invoice (that he or she has yet to review) has in store.
As such, upon an alternative fee arrangement being agreed upon, our clients no longer have to worry about how much time the firm is spending on a respective matter. As a result, the attorney handling the matter is able to work more efficiently, our clients gain more predictability with fixed fees, and the value of the work (rather than the attorneys’ time) becomes the focus of the engagement.
At WLG Firm, PLLC, we have broken the mold for commercial litigation attorneys’ fees by accepting cases on a contingency-fee or “performance-based success fee” basis.
As such, under this fee structure, you do not owe us anything unless we secure an appropriate verdict or settlement, and your attorneys’ fees will come from the amount we procure. By tying compensation to performance, and uniting the interests of attorneys and clients, our contingency or performance-based fee structure provides clients with a number of distinct benefits.
When small businesses and individuals are forced to pay upfront hourly attorneys’ fees, the opposing party can use their financial strength, and the prospect of a drawn-out, expensive lawsuit, to their advantage. This financial disparity can cause a party to not bring a meritorious claim or be forced into an unfair settlement.
Because our clients only pay attorneys’ fees at the conclusion of the litigation, their opponents cannot use their financial position as leverage. Freed from the pressures of hourly attorneys’ fees, our clients’ claims are resolved based on the merits, not on the financial strength of the parties.
Abraham Lincoln famously said that, “a lawyer’s time and advice are his stock in trade.” Because our business attorneys are incentivized to get clients the maximum possible recovery, not to simply bill more hours, you do not need to be concerned that your attorneys’ advice is based on their self-interest instead of your best interest.
For certain matters, WLG Firm, PLLC will handle matters, such as the drafting of an agreement, or the preparation and filing of a trademark agreement, for a "flat" or fixed fee. While fixed or flat fee arrangements are best suited to situations where the time and effort to complete a project are predictable, Clients who desire budgeting certainty often find fixed fee arrangements attractive.
For clients with the need for regular and ongoing representation, WLG Firm, PLLC will serve as outside general counsel in exchange for a monthly fixed fee. Under this arrangement, the firm handles all of a client's matters, with no cap on the number of hours expended each month, within reason. As a result, our clients gain more predictability, without losing reliability.
For a fixed fee, WLG Firm, PLLC will provide up to an agreed number of hours per month or per quarter. In turn, our clients will send us matters that need to be handled and the firm will "redeem" the allotted hours available to handle the respective matters. Should all of the hours be expended during any such subscription period, the firm will continue to render legal services at substantially reduced hourly rate. All things considered, we will periodically review the amount of actual time being expended during any such subscription period, along with the client's future expectations, and discuss whether an adjustment is appropriate.
For matters of extended duration that encompass multiple, discrete phases, a fixed fee for each phase may be an option.
In certain matters, a combination of two or more of the above described alternative fee arrangements may be appropriate.