How do flat fee lawyers work, and the reasons to hire one

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How do flat fee lawyers work, and the reasons to hire one

Do you live in Montana and are involved in a family law case? Or maybe you’re headed for a divorce and require a lawyer’s services to draft your paperwork. Data shows that Montana has 2.3 divorce cases per 1,000 inhabitants. Because of the complexity of such matters, you must look for flat fee lawyer services Montana well in advance. 

The reason behind hiring lawyers working on a flat fee basis is convenience since you wouldn’t want to spend hours on the phone with your lawyer while they explain their hourly rate.

Flat fee lawyers charge one fixed price for their services and don’t bill by the hour—you’ll know exactly how much everything will cost ahead of time. Not only does this make hiring an attorney more affordable, but it also makes it less stressful and transparent than using an hourly-based lawyer. Here are some benefits you should know before hiring one.

Reasons to hire a flat fee lawyer 

They are more affordable

A flat-fee lawyer charges an initial consultation fee rather than having a 

predetermined rate for services. For example, you might pay $400 for the initial meeting and have your case valued at $5,000. If your case takes three months to complete, you’ll pay the flat fee lawyer $1,600 (i.e., $5k/3 months). 

In addition to saving money in hiring fees and avoiding hourly rates, flat-fee lawyers are more affordable than many other types of legal representation. That is because they work within their means and aren’t incentivized by high-dollar cases or trying to make big bucks off their clients by billing as many hours as possible.

Most lawyers in Montana charge an average hourly rate between 56 to 408 USD, which is higher than states like Alabama, Iowa, Maine, South Dakota, and West Virginia. 

The process is transparent

Flat-fee lawyers don’t keep you in the dark about costs, as they want to ensure that you understand precisely how much your case will cost before hiring them. 

They’ll tell you upfront how much they charge and let you know the time it would take them to complete your case, so there are no surprises when the billing comes in.

It is less stressful

Undoubtedly, the cost of hiring a lawyer can be overwhelming. The uncertainty of how much you’ll end up paying is stressful and discouraging, and it makes it harder to focus on what’s most important—your case. 

With flat-fee lawyers, there’s no guessing involved—you know exactly how much your case will cost from the start. These lawyers also have less stress because they don’t have to bill you by the hour. They can focus solely on resolving your case without worrying about their next client.

According to the State Bar of Montana, lawyers in Montana have a flat-fee agreement for cases in which they can estimate the time and effort required to resolve it. Some cases in Montana for which lawyers use these agreements are uncontested divorces, wills, and bankruptcies. 

What are some flat fee services offered?

The exact services offered by lawyers working under a flat-fee agreement vary from one lawyer to another. However, most deal with document drafting related to initial and response to divorce paperwork, drafting a simple and complex motion, reviewing documents, and unlimited email support. Here’s an example of one such service.

Drafting and response to divorce paperwork

A lawyer working on a flat-fee arrangement in Montana will charge you between 945 USD (excluding children) to 1045 USD (including children) dollars for divorce-related paperwork. Initial drafting includes a petition for marriage dissolution, temporary economic restraining order, parenting plan, and predetermined distribution of property. 

Services provided in response to divorce paperwork include answering petitions for dissolution of marriage, proposed property distribution, and parenting plans. A lawyer will charge you about 865 USD (including children) and 715 USD (without children) for these. 

You should consider hiring flat fee lawyer services in Montana for cases relating to divorce, paperwork, or drafting. The arrangement is less stressful for you and the lawyer since you won’t have to worry about them charging you by the hour. The arrangement is also highly convenient.

Willam Derk

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