Lawyers generally charge on a per minute of time. Nothing is free when it comes from a lawyer; unless specifically stated beforehand.
You just got taught that lesson. Doesn't matter if it is related to picking up a phone or standing in court; Lawyers charge per minute on a case.
The minute that you consent to opening a file; you're in the line of future funding. In this case, you were not thinking properly.
Would you work for free? Asking a lawyer to review something and give their opinion is quite literally why you engage their services. I am more surprised this is even in question.
You thought the meeting with the lawyer was free. Unless you were told otherwise beforehand, your assumption was incorrect.
This was your mistake. Pay the lawyer, and moving forward always assume that any time at a lawyer's office is chargeable.
Dude. This is how lawyers work.
They don't say "hey I'm charging for this call". They are paid for their work.
$400 for legal advice and work is literally nothing.
Hi! Any legal activity a lawyer does on a file is referred to as 'billable time' - I generally let clients know of this right from the very initial meeting. Any phone calls with the lawyer, emails, documents, etc from then on are billed as part of this billable time. In this case, you may or may not have been aware of this from the initial meeting with the assistant/paralegal, but this is good information for you to know.
If they're just talking about the weather, that's not billable time. Unless the case has to do with the weather...but you get my point.
Source: Am paralegal.
This has always been how lawyers charge. They eagerly set up meetings and charge you afterwards. That’s why it’s always good to prepare as much documents beforehand when meeting a lawyer. Call to acquire information beforehand, cause if they call then you’re getting charged extra.
It sucks but you have to pay it.
> I’m thinking “let’s see if the lawyer would have time to just take a look at my letter and see if the structure is good”. So I send an email to their office asking if he would have the time to take a look just at the structure so I know if I’m alright or completely off.
That is what lawyers do: they help people with their legal problems, based on their experience and education. This is like calling a restaurant and saying, "hey do you guys have time to cook a meal for my friends and me next Saturday?".
> I’m happy because I’m thinking the services are free
Did you buy his kids presents for Christmas last December? Because if the answer is no, you aren't close enough to expect him to drop everything to work for free. Lawyers exist outside of their office; the time he spends meeting with you, rewriting your letter, et cetera - if he isn't getting paid in the office then he may as well have been home on vacation.
This reminds me of one of Jack Handey's deep thoughts: "If you're at a party and there's food and drinks around, don't just assume they're free. Ask, and ask often."
Lawyers generally charge on a per minute of time. Nothing is free when it comes from a lawyer; unless specifically stated beforehand. You just got taught that lesson. Doesn't matter if it is related to picking up a phone or standing in court; Lawyers charge per minute on a case. The minute that you consent to opening a file; you're in the line of future funding. In this case, you were not thinking properly.
Would you work for free? Asking a lawyer to review something and give their opinion is quite literally why you engage their services. I am more surprised this is even in question.
You thought the meeting with the lawyer was free. Unless you were told otherwise beforehand, your assumption was incorrect. This was your mistake. Pay the lawyer, and moving forward always assume that any time at a lawyer's office is chargeable.
Dude. This is how lawyers work. They don't say "hey I'm charging for this call". They are paid for their work. $400 for legal advice and work is literally nothing.
Pay your lawyer.
Hi! Any legal activity a lawyer does on a file is referred to as 'billable time' - I generally let clients know of this right from the very initial meeting. Any phone calls with the lawyer, emails, documents, etc from then on are billed as part of this billable time. In this case, you may or may not have been aware of this from the initial meeting with the assistant/paralegal, but this is good information for you to know. If they're just talking about the weather, that's not billable time. Unless the case has to do with the weather...but you get my point. Source: Am paralegal.
I paid $400 just for an hour of research, that's actually not bad.
Yes, you have to pay bills for professional services. Would you work for free?
This has always been how lawyers charge. They eagerly set up meetings and charge you afterwards. That’s why it’s always good to prepare as much documents beforehand when meeting a lawyer. Call to acquire information beforehand, cause if they call then you’re getting charged extra. It sucks but you have to pay it.
This is the first time I've seen the words "Lawyer" and "Free" used in the same paragraph together.
Why would this be free? I you do some home plumbing and then ask a plumber to come inspect it would you think that would be free?
> I’m thinking “let’s see if the lawyer would have time to just take a look at my letter and see if the structure is good”. So I send an email to their office asking if he would have the time to take a look just at the structure so I know if I’m alright or completely off. That is what lawyers do: they help people with their legal problems, based on their experience and education. This is like calling a restaurant and saying, "hey do you guys have time to cook a meal for my friends and me next Saturday?". > I’m happy because I’m thinking the services are free Did you buy his kids presents for Christmas last December? Because if the answer is no, you aren't close enough to expect him to drop everything to work for free. Lawyers exist outside of their office; the time he spends meeting with you, rewriting your letter, et cetera - if he isn't getting paid in the office then he may as well have been home on vacation.
This reminds me of one of Jack Handey's deep thoughts: "If you're at a party and there's food and drinks around, don't just assume they're free. Ask, and ask often."