ARE THE BIG LAW FIRMS WORTH IT?

A lot of people ask me if “the big law firms” are worth it.

You know the type. Fancy estate planning firms that charge $5,000 for a trust or $1,250 for a simple will. Or those guys on the billboards who churn out hundreds of car accident cases a month.

People believe that because the firm is more expensive, it must be worth the money.

I’m sure that’s true in some instances. If I was ever on criminal trial and my life was at stake I’d probably go with the most reputable lawyer in the country. And I’d be OK paying a retainer fee of $50,000 because the value of me winning at trial is worth way more than $50k!

But are estate planning firms and injury firms charging more because they’re “better” lawyers? Or is there another reason?

The reality is that big law firms have humungous overhead expenses.

As a solo practitioner with low overhead and one paralegal, my firm is able to keep rates low. That’s why we only charge $300 for a simple will and $500 for estate plans for married couples.

We also lower our contingency fees on car accident cases that didn’t take a lot of work – i.e. 20% instead of the standard 30% or 40% in MA if there was litigation.

My firm routinely sees trusts and wills drafted by the “big guys” which often fail in probate or have complications. Just because you’re from a bigger firm doesn’t mean the price will reflect the services.

Why pay thousands for an estate plan when an equally capable lawyer will charge in the low hundreds?

Big firms have buildings, parking lots, secretaries, paralegals, data base services, and attorney salaries to worry about. If they charged low rates they’d go broke.

Luckily for my practice, I’m able to charge reasonable rates that reflect the amount of work done rather than the cost of my overhead.

If you need a will or if you’ve been injured in a car accident in Connecticut or Massachusetts, give me a call at 207 550 5604