I had a friend in college who would only drink a particular brand of bottled water. It never ceased to amaze me how much money this girl spent on a product that was readily available, at no cost, almost everywhere you go. I don’t care if it came from a glacier in the middle of Antarctica- how is it any different than my parent’s hose in Ogden Utah?

The cost of products and services is a part of our every day life experience. The legal industry is no exception. Every week we receive calls from folks looking into hiring a lawyer. Inevitably, the question is asked “how much does he charge?”  I get asked all the time why I do not include pricing on my website, my Facebook page, or on my google landing page. This is very understandable question. I ask that question whenever I call to buy something as well.

The thing is- hiring a lawyer is not like buying a bottle of water. This article written by a successful entrepreneur who went through bankruptcy provides an excellent guide-post in successfully navigating the bankruptcy process. His very first tip: pick the right lawyer. His first choice was the attorney that was cheapest. This choice almost ruined his case.

I almost always offer a free consultation to prospective clients. At the end of the consultation, after I get a good idea of the needs of the particular client, I then quote my retainer amount. I always preface it with “I’m not the most expensive but I’m also not the cheapest. You can find an attorney that charges less. I charge what I charge because I need to limit the number of cases I take so that I can best focus on achieving the best result for my client.”

There is so much more than price when you are choosing an attorney. You need to ask questions so you can gauge the competence of the person you are talking to. Ultimately- you need to feel that you can trust this person with your legal needs.