No matter what type of issue you engage a lawyer to assist you with, there are ways to minimize the legal fees that will inevitably arise. Set out below, in no particular order, are some of the best ways to reduce legal fees and get the most out of your relationship with your lawyer.
- Be as organized as possible.
Even if you are not a naturally tidy or well-organized person it will pay you to improve your game in this respect when you are dealing with your lawyer. Being well-organized will help you to provide your lawyer with the material they request and to respond quickly and efficiently to any requests for information from you. Time that you spend in keeping your affairs organized is likely to be time that the lawyer does not need to spend in chasing information. This translates to lower fees.
- Respond Promptly when your lawyer requests information or documents from you.
If the lawyer needs to chase up responses and documents it means they are spending further time on your case and this will be reflected in your bill.
- Be honest with your lawyer from the outset.
Even if you are concerned that information you hold may be harmful to your case you need to discuss it with your lawyer from the outset. Your lawyer is bound to maintain confidentiality regarding information you provide but his or her approach to your problem may be very different depending upon what you disclose. Don’t waste time and therefore costs by failing to tell your lawyer something they should know from the beginning.
- Minimize using your lawyer to vent.
The desire to vent is sometimes inevitable and is certainly understandable in many situations and disputes which are stressful. Your lawyer is on your side and is concerned about the stresses that your case is causing you but if you use your lawyer simply to vent you will be running up legal fees that don’t necessarily advance your case. If you are feeling sufficiently stressed that you need to talk to someone unrelated to your legal issues consider talking to a psychologist or your GP for reference to someone who can assist.
- Use phone calls efficiently.
If the response called for by your lawyer can be answered in a brief email then it may be better to communicate that way. It is almost certain to be less expensive if you can respond briefly rather than in a phone call which is likely to be more time-consuming and therefore more expensive. This is not to say that phone discussions with your lawyer are to be avoided – it is important to be able to speak to your lawyer but use those calls sparingly because each call is costing you money.
- Be open to advice about settlement.
It can be difficult to accept advice from your lawyer that settlement of a dispute should be considered. Often the prospect of settling the case is hampered by your perception (and often a correct perception) that conduct of the other parties has been unfair or unreasonable and that you should not have to compromise. The advice to settle won’t have been given to you by your lawyer other than for good commercial reasons. These are likely to include concerns about your prospects of success mixed with concerns about the legal fees that are likely to be incurred if the matter can’t be resolved promptly. Put aside notions of fairness in favor of commercial realities.
If there is anything not clear to you concerning the management of your case by all means question your lawyer about it as you will find that they have your best interests at heart. We hope the tips out lined above, although not exhaustive, can help you to reduce the inevitable expense of engaging a lawyer to assist you next time you have a need for legal representation.
If you or someone you know are in need of legal advice, you can contact our team of experts by contacting us at 9525 8688.
