November 16, 2018
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Many estate-planning attorneys quote fixed fees for services. Therefore, I commonly ask my colleagues, “Do you ever quote a fee that’s below the true value of the services you’re about to render?”
Resoundingly, almost every attorney to whom I make this inquiry answers, “Yes!”
The next question I ask is more difficult to answer: “Why?”
A variety of responses commonly emerge:
The client won’t pay it.
They’ll visit the attorney down the street for a comparison quote.
My referral source might think I’m trying to gouge his client.
They’ll try to do it themselves on the Internet.
None of these answers justifies charging amounts below a fee commensurate with the true value of the services delivered, and it speaks to certain expectations that may ex...
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