I’m a sole practitioner and for my clients, that is a benefit. You might compare me to a free agent. In my practice, clients get the quality they might expect from a bigger firm with the personalized attention and flexibility of a smaller firm.

If I need outside expertise from other lawyers, and my clients agree, I can pick and choose consulting counsel whom I know to be experts. Because of my many years working in my legal community, I know who the best people are. I’m not locked into consulting with another lawyer in my firm just because that person is a partner in my firm. I also have expert “of counsel” assistance. If a case is sufficiently complex, I ask clients to retain both of us.

My usual practice when a new client calls is to set up an initial office conference. I charge $200.00 an hour with a one hour minimum (time beyond one hour is charged in 2/10ths of an hour increments at $200/hour). There are rarely exceptions to this policy.

I don’t give telephone information in an initial consultation unless a potential client is out of state. When I do, I make an appointment for the conference and expect payment before the conference begins.

Because I’m the only source of income for my firm, my ability to help clients on a pro bono basis is limited. I’m a sole practitioner and business owner as well as a lawyer. When I do accept clients of limited means, I usually set a lower hourly rate based on the potential client’s income.