Steps You Can Take to Lower Your Legal Bill

The primary reason most people delay hiring an attorney is the fear of how much it will cost them. Most believe that the size of their legal bill is totally outside their control, but this is not true. There are a variety of steps you can take to work effectively and efficiently with your lawyer that will help keep your legal bill low. Below are a few suggestions:

• Hire lawyer that practices in the area of law you need . Similar to doctors, most lawyers focus only on a few areas of law, which means that if they take a case outside of these areas, you can end up paying for their “learning curve.” Not only can it get expensive to pay for your attorney to learn along the way, it can also result in a costly result in your case. Thus, you should also retain a lawyer experienced in the type of law or transaction that you need assistance with.
• Create a budget . It is important for you to be upfront with your lawyer about your budget and that you expect him or her to be honest about the expected cost of handling your case. Let your attorney know that you want to be regularly informed as your legal charges grow, which typically means receiving monthly invoices.
• Handle the prep work yourself . Don’t pay your lawyer (or a paralegal) to handle little tasks that you can take care of yourself. One of the most important ones is organizing all of your documents and other information regarding your case. You may also ask your attorney to let you know if there are other matters you can handle in order to save money.
• Be efficient in your communications . When possible, take time to organize your thoughts and write down your questions before you meet with your lawyer or call him on the telephone. The shorter the meetings and/or telephone calls are, the less money it will cost you.
• Establish a clear goal . Although every legal matter is different, if you establish a clear goal from the beginning with your attorney, it can save you a significant amount of money. For example, changing a deal numerous times will invariably result in a higher legal bill. If you have a direct course of action and can avoid rewrites and revisions, it will be kinder to your checkbook.