lawmummy

At our firm, we do a lot of pro bono. A lot. I don’t say that to pat us on the back or call us out but to give you a little context for my rant.

I know that people don’t like to pay lawyers. It annoys people that they have to pay to fix a situation that they don’t feel that they should be in the first place - even when the situation (like not paying taxes) is self-inflicted. I get this. It’s not fair, ya-da,  ya-da.

But this is the thing: I don’t, as a general rule, work for free. My free services are reserved for clients who have been vetted through services like the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts; Senior Law Project; and Philly VIP. But otherwise, if you have a legal problem and you choose to come to my office, there is a fee associated with your visit. And if your matter is particularly complex or requires more time than one visit, it will be necessary to pay a retainer.

Similarly, I am headed off to the doctor shortly for my son’s appointment.  Do I think it’s fair that he is sick?  No.  Do I want to shell out more money to the doctor?  Of course not.  Do I understand that my doctor is taking time away from other patients to see my child?  Yes.  Do I understand that her time has value?  Definitely.  So, am I going to write out a check to her today? Absolutely.

And I’d venture to say that most of you would not even think of asking your doctor to give you a consult for free.  Your lawyer?  Another matter altogether.

Lately, I’ve had a string of sob stories come through my door, all wanting legal advice and not wanting to pay. Anything. They just want free advice - for complicated and sophisticated matters.  Many of these people have incomes far in excess of my own but feel that their situation merits my time for free or on the cheap nonetheless.  One professional went so far as to ask me in advance recently to “renegotiate” my consultation fee, which had already been discounted by more than 25% as a favor to the attorney who referred him.  He advised that he was not prepared to pay for my services beyond that meeting - he was on a fact gathering mission so that he could do the work himself.  And he wanted me to help him, for practically nothing.

To clarify, the fees at my office are not high - they are lower than most attorneys in the City with similar qualifications. I try to be affordable. I try to be fair.  So you tell me what’s fair about not paying me for my time…

Just because I am no longer at a fancy Center City firm does not mean that I do not have expenses. I do. And in some instances, my costs are actually higher per attorney than in Center City because insurance companies and other vendors understand that I don’t have the leverage of say, a Pepper, in the form of bulk sales of office supplies or multiple employees for coverage.  I still have to pay salaries and buy copy paper.  I have to pay rent and utilities - I don’t get a discount on electricity for having few employees.

And on a personal level, while I understand that you’re in a jam, I have children to feed and send to school.  I have a mortgage to pay.  I have heating to pay for.  I have student loans to pay back (I went to school to get those fancy diplomas, you know).  And yes, I’d like to buy my kids some Christmas presents once in awhile.

So it is with great annoyance that potential clients feel that it’s okay to nickel and dime me with respect to my services - and ask for free services.

The answer is no.

November 28th, 2007 | Category: Law | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL