Going through a long legal case, either as an individual or as a business, agency or company, can be extremely stressful and also very costly. While you are, of course, required to pay at the agreed upon fee for legal representation, there are some ways that you as an individual or as a representative of the company, can proactively work to ensure lower legal costs associated with your case.
This proactive work should start right at your first meeting with the attorney or the legal firm that will be your representative. You can also work with your attorney at any time by reviewing your invoice and questioning any charges that are not clear. For ongoing issues having a legal bill audit completed is an excellent way to eliminate unnecessary charges and develop an understanding of billing going forward.
Common Issues to Consider
One of the biggest issues that can contribute to high legal fees is the practice of passing on overhead of the firm to the clients. Think of overhead as the cost of doing business. In some cases it can include paying usage fees for meeting rooms, teleconferencing and even paying for postage, local travel and other issues that most businesses would assume are just costs incurred by the business.
Lower Legal Costs by Reduced Staffing
You may find that when you do meet in person or talk to your attorney by phone other attorneys on your team are also on the line or in the room. This is often reassuring to the client as they feel well represented and as if everyone is on board. However, it is important to realize that if you are paying an hourly rate you are being charged for each of those individuals. Establishing or discussing who needs to be in the room and why can help to lower legal costs and prevent redundancy on your bill.
Attorneys and legal firms often use automated billing systems that often duplicate billing of several services. This can include being charged for creating a form that is already in existence or having multiple people bill for doing the same task. Eliminating these issues, plus the two mentioned above, will help to lower legal costs and keep you on budget.
The key to lower legal costs is to be proactive if you notice any issues on your bill. Our staff of legal auditors can help you to find these areas, just drop by our website at to see how we can assist you.
