- Quickdraw McLaw
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Since yesterday’s post mentioning billing rates for two local firms seemed to raise the question, we’ll open it up a little wider today. What rate does your firm charge? If you’re a plaintiff firm, is it strictly a percentage? If your firm has an hourly rate, is it a mixed rate depending on the lawyer or the same across the whole firm? Does anyone use a flat monthly rate? For you associates, do you even know how you’re firm does billing or is it top secret?
Small firm. Plaintiffs and hourly. Plaintiff's work 33.33% for claims, 40% for litigation. We usually adjust bills so we don't "net" more than the client. Billable work is $350 – $400 / hour
Small firm here too. Contingency ranges from 28% to 40%. Billable work from 300 to 550 per hour.
Two attorney firm. We do some plaintiff work, some family law and some general business/contract/real estate litigation. Plaintiff work is always on a contingency of 33% to 40%. Billable work is usually between $250-$350/hr depending on the case and the client.
Newer partner, 11-lawyer general business, real estate, and litigation practice: $265/hour for most everyone. And if the client is a real pain in the rear, I bump it to $300. We have a tough accounting manager who makes us ensure that there is plenty in trust for all clients at all time. And we have a senior partner who has no tolerance whatsoever for clients who pay slow. As a result, we all do fairly well and we collect over 95% of what we bill.
Mid-size commercial litigation defense firm. $300/hr mixed rate–regardless of whether it is associate or partner.
sole practitioner, low overhead, appeals: $300 per hour, large retainer up front
Small insurance defense firm. $125 for partners, $100 for associates.
Not possible.
Lisa Willardson died of an accidental drug overdose.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/coroner-willardson-died-accidental-drug-overdose
In a case like this, how do they determine whether it's a suicide or an accident? Serious question. Was she trying to get high and overshot the mark?
I think if someone is trying to kill him or herself, you'd expect to see a massive quantity of one or maybe two drugs. Here, the meds all sound like things doctors relatively freely prescribe in combination for depression/anxiety conditions. Or maybe the doctor says stop taking the x and start taking the y, but the person just keeps taking the old one because the pills were left over, or ups the dosage themselves trying to feel better. I read some of her facebook posts made just several hours before she died, and my thought was "wow, maybe she's drunk" because they were rather incoherent – definitely different from her usual posts. My guess would be trying to "cope" with the shock of the decision about Jones. I am certainly not a professional on these topics, though, and am just speculating.
Lisa Willardson's death ruled an accident. Coroner found a lethal mix of prescription drugs in her system, however, individually none of them were overdoses.
Big firm. associates are 250-350ish. Partners are 500-850ish
Solo practice. $1,700 – $2,200 per hour depending on the area of law. Still waiting for my first client.
8:43 must not be Joseph Scalia.
Explain. I met that guy at court once. Does he bill a lot? Seemed like a typical small firm guy to me.
Gee I felt good about the miserable rate I get to bill at when I saw the story, now i'm back to realizing my hourly rate is side – $250 and I'm a partner and a managing attorney.
So if you set your own rate, what factors do you use to set it?
Only factor: what I want to be able to tell people I bill. It makes them think I'm rich and they give me more respect.