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Add a Legal Fee Calculator to Your Website

North Carolina family lawyer Lee Rosen has something other lawyers should envy: A legal fee calculator on this website.  Any potential client visiting his site can answer Yes or No to eight simple questions, then click a button to reveal a well-defined fee range if the matter can be resolved before filing suit.  Click another button to get a range if the matter involves litigation. 

I just love this idea.  I loved it so much when I heard about it several years ago, that I suggested the story idea to the ABA Journal.  They wrote a great story, and I thought fee calculators would pop up on lawyer web sites all across America. However, a quick search on Vivisimo, reveals only a handful of U.S. law firms have followed suit. 

To me, this is a lost opportunity to capitalize on one of clients’ biggest fears:  uncertainty over legal fees.  Many clients make purchasing decisions based, at least in part, on cost.  If they think you are going to be too expensive, they will remove you from consideration.  If your fees are within range of their expectations, you will at least be one of the finalists in their lawyer search. That is why allowing a potential client to obtain fee information prior to an initial consult is such a great idea.

According to Lee, the simple part was designing the eight questions and writing the functional computer code to add to the web site. It took his IT person just a few hours to make it happen. The hard part was developing the dollar value for each question in the fee calculator; Lee and his staff invested dozens of hours to review prior files and client bills to create the range of fee estimates used in the calculator.

Lee has a family law practice, and having practiced family law for nine years, I know how hard it is to provide divorce clients with an estimate of fees.  However, by investing time in reviewing a cross-section of client files and bills, Lee was able to identify key cost-drivers in client bills, develop fair ranges for each stage of the litigation, compare gross assets to gross fees, and translate that data into an understandable format for potential clients.

It may seem daunting at first, but try this: Print out the full bills of four or five representative clients over the past several years.  Compare them.  What are some similarities and differences?  What conclusions can you draw?  It is just a start, but it may be enough information to spur your firm into further action.

This is a significant investment of time for any lawyer in any type of practice.  However, such an investment is sure to pay off if the calculator is incorporated into your marketing efforts.  If you add a fee calculator to your web site, promote it in other marketing efforts.  Inform potential clients that you are trying to provide some certainty in an uncertain world; that you are empowering your clients to have greater control over their potential fees.  Use it as a way to distinguish your firm or practice in the marketplace. 

Lee knows his investment has paid off:  Fewer potential clients are calling, but a higher percentage of the ones that do call end up retaining his firm. More clients, no more wasted initial consults, fewer misunderstandings about fees.  That is what I call a return on investment.

All Work and No Play...

You may have noted that I added a new feature just below my blog roll. Yep, games and diversions!  Taking a quick break during a long work day is good medicine.  Seriously.  A five-minute break to laugh and recharge is recommended by 4 out of 5 psychologists who chew gum. There are all sorts of diversions on the Internet, but few that are fun, clean, and secure.  I’ve listed a few that strike me as fun and, in most instances, innovative.  So have fun, then get back to work!  Note too, there's room for a few more, so feel free to e-mail me with your favorites.

Techshow Early Bird Registration Ends Friday

Friday, March 4 is the last day for early bird registration to the ABA Techshow.  Techshow is the single best opportunity to learn more about legal technology.  Whether you believe you are a technophobe or have "CIO" on your business card, Techshow is the place to be March 31-April 2.  Technology is now an indispensable part of practicing law, and spending a few days each year to learn from the top technologists in the U.S. and Canada is a worthy investment in your firm.  An added benefit is that it's also a great place to network with lawyers from around the country.  Business is business!

Another Fine Issue of Law Practice Today

The February issue of Law Practice Today hit my inbox today.  As always, it has a number of great articles and information from leading experts and practitioners.  Dan Pinnington shares his expertise in Managing the Security and Privacy of Electronic Data in a Law Office.  Dan also provides a sneak peek at one of the more popular sessions at the ABA Techshow--60 Tips in 60 Minutes.  That session is always full of quick and valuable technology tips--and not just because I'm one of the tips presenters this year!

Ed Poll also weighs in on the subject of selling a law practice--a growing trend thanks to states continuing to change their Rules of Professional Conduct.  Finally, The BTI Consulting Group and  ABA Law Practice Management Section team up on a survey of law firm utilization.

I highly recommend Law Practice Today as monthly reading.  It is full of practical and useful information, and highlights important upcoming events of interest to lawyers in firms of all sizes.  Best of all you can subscribe for free. 

Files That Talk

As lawyers, we know that pictures speak a thousand words. We often use pictures and other visuals to persuade clients, juries, opposing counsel, government regulators, and others to see our point of view.  Pictures are powerful, but we are often ignorant of some of the most powerful images: The picture of how our clients view us as lawyers. 

Rest assured, clients reach conclusions about your qualities as a lawyer by extrapolating from the visible to the invisible. The condition of your office and files become vivid symbols of your skills and attitude toward your clients and their problems. 

Messy, disorganized files project carelessness, while neat, well-organized files convey concern, competence, and attention to detail. A cluttered office and desk can convey an image to a visiting client that you are too busy to effectively handle their legal matters. 

Other lawyers and judges also notice the condition of your files, so your reputation in the legal community, and consequently your effectiveness as a lawyer, is influenced by the messages they send.

Here is a proposed standard for file maintenance, as suggested by Alberta lawyer Paul McLaughlin in his book Welcome to Reality: A New Lawyer's Guide to Success: My clients can come in at any time and look through their files without their condition or contents embarrassing me.

Here is my proposed standard for office appearance: My clients can visit at any time without the condition of my office embarrassing me or causing the client to silently question my effectiveness and efficiency.

Meeting with clients in a conference room is, at best, a temporary solution to a messy office. Quite frankly, it’s a cop-out. The same goes for shoving documents in the file with the best intentions of neatly organizing it later—it only gets attention if the matter goes to trial or a hearing. In the meantime, clients and others are watching the mess grow.

Taking time to frequently organize your files and offices will provide your clients with a positive picture to take with them during and after the representation.

 Not a sermon, just a thought.