Written by Antony Clapp
When selecting a lawyer for your divorce or family matter, you may ask yourself, will a more expensive lawyer translate to achieving a better result? Are London lawyers really worth their fees? Do I need to get a local lawyer based on where I live or where my business is based? This blog post aims to give some insights on what factors impact a family lawyer’s hourly rate, and whether that ultimately represents good value for your case, so you can decide what’s best for your particular circumstances.
All solicitors will almost invariably charge according to the hours spent on a client’s case at a rate that they have established and this will be notified to the client at the beginning of the instructions. What should the client draw from this information? The key to this answer is to look at the process that is involved in establishing the hourly rate.
The common factors in setting the hourly rate of payment are:
Seniority
A senior solicitor will charge a higher rate than their junior colleagues. At first blush this suggests that all clients should retain junior solicitors. The answer is not that simple. A task that requires a junior professional to undertake research, for example, may be answered by a senior colleague rather more swiftly simply relying on their past experience. The junior may charge £200 for the task that took in total 1 hour; the senior lawyer may complete the same task in 6 minutes and in that way, the answer to the question provided by the junior could cost 10 times the cost of securing the advice from the more experienced, higher-charging representative.
Location
This is very important. Inevitably city solicitors will charge considerably higher rates, maybe even double the hourly rate of a lawyer with identical experience operating outside the metropolis. Overheads associated with prestigious city offices will inevitably impact upon this factor. The seats of training and the level of qualification of those practicing in the city are identical to those practicing in the provinces. Indeed, frequently provincial solicitors will move to the city and instantly hike their hourly rate. This begs the question, why is it that people are prepared to pay enhanced rates simply by virtue of the location of the professional? Of course it is the prerogative of any client to choose the location of their representative, but such considerations should be approached with these cost-impacting consequences in mind. It would be a mistake to conclude that court location is linked to representation choice. In these days of modern technology it is perfectly feasible for a lawyer to represent a client conducting litigation within England and Wales from any part of the country; indeed, any quarter of the globe!
Expertise
This factor is perhaps inextricably linked with the first factor, but warrants separate consideration. A lawyer may become an expert in their field by concentrated application at a comparatively early stage in their professional career. Increasingly in the last 30 years since Antony Clapp Solicitors was established, the market has followed the lead set towards specialisation. When Antony Clapp Solicitors was established, niche practices were comparatively rare. This is no longer the case and several operations have been established attempting to follow the model. The expectations of clients and the requirements of regulating professional bodies have fuelled the trend towards specialisation and expertise. Family law is no exception and so from a client’s perspective, the skill is identifying the true specialist with whom they will achieve their desired result. Reputation is a key factor in this process and should always be considered. The lawyer with a strong reputation will naturally attract instructions and will be in public demand. That demand will inevitably reflect in the hourly rate applied to that individual who will be keen to limit the workload by applying a rate that will not always be attractive to all clients.
Key Lessons to Remember Before Selecting Your Lawyer or Solicitor
Don’t assume that the highest charging lawyers are automatically more able and capable of providing a better result, particularly if part of the justification for the enhanced rate is location.
Don’t think cheaper hourly rates inevitably result in cheaper bills.
Expertise is a valuable commodity and dictates the quality of the work undertaken by the lawyer.
Ready for the Next Step?
The team at Antony Clapp Solicitors are true experts in all aspects of Family Law. We have a wealth of experience to suit all cases, including the most complicated. If you have questions about your case and want an initial understanding of how simple or complex the case may be, contact us for a fixed-fee initial consultation to discuss your requirements: