OMG the Lawyer's Fees!

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Lawyers invest thousands into their education and spent years in law school.

They aren't just dumbass, everyday Joe's who got a two-bit diploma from a local community college.

They have worked hard and earned a right to charge for their services.

As it is with everything.... you get what you pay for.

If you use the cheapest Lawyer you can find, don't expect him to be a superhero in the courtroom ;)
 
Often as with many other things in life, you get what you pay for. That $400hr lawyer may be able to do what you need done in a couple of billable hours, where that $250hr lawyer may take several court applications at several thousand per application.

Experience pays. There are some things that you can use a cheap lawyer for, and sometimes you need to hire the big guns.

Consider it your car. You don't take your car to the dealer for an oil change when you can take it to a 10 min lube shop for half the price. And you would not take your car to Canadian Tire for then to rebuild your engine when the car is under warranty.
 
I have a car analogy too.

You pay all of the insurance premiums because the law leaves you no choice. Once you get into an accident, it still seems to be to your advantage to suck it up and pay for the repairs yourself because the more you stir the pot, the worse it will be for you in the long run.
 
AnarX said:
Your fees are not their profit. You have no idea what the over-head costs are in operating a law practice. Most of the reason for the high cost of professional services is a result of institutionalized market forces that the single professional can not control.

In other words, even if a lawyer wanted to charge low fees, it would be impossible for him to survive financially.
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I know how much overhead there is...and I know that many of their fees are directed by the LS of the area...They are a lot like doctors...we pay to have their insurance premiums paid, their standing in the law society maintained, and their education kept up-to-date with the latest legal news and trends...I don't mind knowing my lawyer has an independant learning plan due to the law society every single year he practises!

However, I disagree on your final point...if a lawyer wanted to charge lower fees, he or she could...work out of their home, do their own billing and file management...etc...but they would also have less time for clients.

A prominent lawyer in Texas has started down the right path, opening a "cyber office"...which is much less costly than the real thing...The only thing standing in the way of the same thing in Canada are the Law Societies who are in opposition to the idea of cheap lawyers...
 
IP,
Why would you disagree?
You identified two things which either lead to the bidding up of fees or the monopolization of the services.
 
AnarX said:
IP,
Why would you disagree?
You identified two things which either lead to the bidding up of fees or the monopolization of the services.
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I disagree on the fact that is is tough for a lawyer to charge lower fees...they could if they wanted to. Not every time, every case, but certainly they could with discretion.
 
InterprovincialParents said:
The only thing standing in the way of the same thing in Canada are the Law Societies who are in opposition to the idea of cheap lawyers...
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I whole heartedly agree. When was the last time the law society sanctioned a lawyer for failing their client in Family Law? The law society is only there to protect their breed. They claim to be there to protect the public, but that is a lie. Even the ombudsman can't question the policies and actions of the law societies.

There is no over site to the law society, nor any other self regulated industry for that matter.

We need to get our government to get off their ass and put oversite into these organizations. England has it. A layman is elected to oversee each self regulated industry. It work. It keeps lawyers more professional on average.

The next thing we need to do is to elect our judges. Appointed judges are not accountable to anyone. There are many judges who make bad decisions based solely on how they feel that day, or what they think of you, your lawyer, or what you wore to court. Your only option is to appeal a bad decision, and that is only possible if you can afford it. Unfortunately few going through a nasty divorce can afford more legal problems, and you are left hoping to get a new order to fix the last bad one.
 
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InterprovincialParents said:
I disagree on the fact that is is tough for a lawyer to charge lower fees...they could if they wanted to. Not every time, every case, but certainly they could with discretion.
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My lawyer does just that. She has worked very hard for me because she knows my ex is unreasonable, and the court system unjust. If I had to pay for every minute she has worked on my file, I would be well over $200K instead of the $120k I have paid her.
 
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