Reason Numbers 3 & 4 for Why We Charge For Initial Consultations

San Antonio Texas Real Estate Attorney Trey Wilson wrote:

In two earlier blog posts, I introduced the reader to the philosophy behind our decision to charge an initial consultation fee of $350.00, and provided Reasons 1 & 2 for this practice.  Below are Reason numbers 3 and 4 (out of 5) explaining in further detail why we believe that the value delivered at our consultations far exceed any "free" interview or "free consultation" you may receive from another law firm in San Antonio, Texas.

3.                WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE PROSPECTIVE CLIENT's  LEGAL ISSUE, AND TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND DISCUSS IT

Since our prospective clients schedule  consultations with us in advance, we have the ability to set-aside the time to prepare-for and conduct our initial meetings. For example, since the real estate law practice is document-intensive, often times we are asked to review documentation in advance of a n initial consultation. We will do so, and sometimes even conduct preliminary research to better enable us to understand the legal issue to presented by a prospective client at the initial conference.

We are not like those law firms who schedule a high volume of free consultations as a sales gimmick, and then rush through these meetings when a prospective engagement does not present an opportunity for profitability. Instead, we take the necessary time to fully understand and explain the legal consequences of the prospective client's factual circumstances.  We conduct only one consultation at a time, and extend an opportunity to the prospective client to ask questions, and gain knowledge. We use our high proficiency with online databases to educate during our consultations, and often the people we meet with leave the consultation with relevant documents that they did not previously have or know existed.

4.               IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ENSURE THAT THE PROSPECTIVE CLIENT IS SERIOUS ABOUT HIS/HER LEGAL ISSUE

We are serious lawyers with passion for the cases we handle. We have equally serious clients who entrust us with legal issues of consequence.  These clients recognize that an unfortunate reality of the American justice system is that legal services, including attorneys’ fees, are not cheap.   Frequently, the high costs of litigation eclipse the amount in controversy.  

Pretty much all of the legal disputes (and certainly the lawsuits) that we handle involve the expenditure of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars. Transactional and drafting engagements are usually far less expensive, but are still not “bargain-priced.” For this reason, we firmly believe that any prospective client that is not willing or able to spend $350.00 to obtain our strategic insight on their legal matter and/or explore the viability of our representation, lacks the seriousness that our relationships require.  Quite frankly, if you do not believe that your case merits a $350.00 discussion, we are most likely not the best firm for you.