Concierge legal services involve a client paying a law firm a set fee to cover their legal needs over a given period of time. According to a corporate transaction lawyer, the client benefits by being able to reach out for help whenever it’s needed without thinking about being charged for the attorney’s time.
Who Is A Concierge?
When you hear the term “concierge,” you may think of someone working for a hotel, private club, resort, or luxury apartment complex whose primary job is to provide personalized services to guests or residents. They may arrange for a taxi, provide theater tickets, give information about the local area, or make restaurant reservations.
That concept has spread to medical practices. Many doctors, fed up with the red tape, hassle, and restrictions that come with payment from health insurance companies, Medicare, or Medicaid, now accept regular monthly or yearly fees for their services. They’re more focused on their patient’s needs and give them more time.
How Do Concierge Legal Services Differ From What Law Firms Traditionally Offer?
Some lawyers and law firms have adopted this approach and joined the concierge bandwagon. According to Focus Law LA, lawyers traditionally charge:
- A set fee for a given service
- By the hour, with a retainer being paid before services start with fees coming from that payment
- If they represent plaintiffs, they may charge a percentage of any recovery
Practicing law and earning an income from it are bound by tradition. Some lawyers are breaking away from a “this is how we do things” way of thinking and earning money differently.
What Are The Costs And Benefits Of Concierge Legal Services?
Concierge legal services can be provided to individuals, organizations, or businesses. They pay a monthly or annual fee for access to an attorney and necessary legal work. Clients can seek information, advice, or legal counsel when they want. They may also receive representation in legal matters before courts and government agencies.
Attorneys benefit from this arrangement by receiving a steady, predictable income from their clients. This replaces earning money in ebbs and flows as work demands change over time and as cases resolve and new ones start. Attorneys also need not spend time keeping track of their time and billing clients for it. On the downside, an attorney may work more than expected, so their pay suffers when considering how much time they put in.
This can be a very convenient way for clients who can afford it to access legal services. It makes more sense for those with complex legal needs (which often come with wealth) because they need legal help more than the average person.
Concierge legal services can also work well for government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses that need legal help frequently, possibly in various areas. These organizations may consider their concierge lawyer their part-time, outsourced, but in-house legal counsel.
Clients won’t wonder how much an attorney’s phone call or a court appearance will cost. They can budget their payments, which are predictable expenses. The negative for clients is they may pay for time when they don’t need legal assistance, so it may not be cost-effective in the long run.
Depending on how often you need the help of an attorney and if the cost is affordable, concierge legal services may be right for you. Contact a law firm near you for more information.