Fees
Upon a client enquiry (initial email contact via this site is recommended) a member of our team at Associate Director (legal services) (‘ADL’) level will inform the client provisionally whether we are prepared to accept the work. This will normally happen within 12 hours from the enquiry. If the matter is urgent, a decision can be made instantly.
Opinion Stage
Thereafter, if the client wishes to engage us and we are willing to accept instructions, our ADL will prepare an Opinion for the client based on detailed information concerning the legal matter and the client’s objectives as provided to us by the client.
The Opinion would set out the background to the project, the issues involved in the context of the solution required by the client and would cover the following main points:-
- Preliminary and provisional advice on the merits of the case (whether the client is likely to succeed in law)
- Our recommended action plan towards the achievement of the client’s objectives
- Fees and costs to the client for us to carry out the recommended plan
- Risks and other considerations
- Provisionally, the sums, or other awards likely to be recoverable by the client upon the prosecution of the recommended plan.
Engagement Stage
Upon the client accepting our recommendations based on the Opinion, we would then prepare a legal services contract for the client’s approval which would be provided to the client together with any other authorities (eg. power of attorney) for execution by the client, which we may need to carry out the work. Our invoice for the work would also be provided at this stage and once payment is made, then the work would commence.
Project Stage
All our legal aid projects are led and supervised by an appropriately-qualified ADL. The ADL would be assigned to the client’s case and would be the principal point of contact for all matters to do with the case. The ADL would personally engage the work to be performed and harness, as necessary, the international team of associate counsels and support personnel that would be required to enable the client’s work to be brought to a successful conclusion.
PROFESSIONAL FEES
At Lestrade Law Associates LLC Law Firm, we are committed to realising our client's objectives quickly, professionally and in a cost-effective manner that is highly optimised to our client’s means and satisfaction. As such, we use a wide range of modern communication and document processing facilities, representing office and client services management systems, designed to reduce costly overheads that would need to be included in our fees. Our associates and consulting team members are required to follow our guidelines for our professional fees which are the hallmark of our success as a law firm.
Our professional fees provide for reasonable compensation for the legal services given. Fees are contingent on the circumstances of each case and can be based on hourly rates, or a flat fee as an all-inclusive project fee for the work.
Hourly Rates
Hourly rates are based on the agreed fee rate for each hour worked by the professional team member. Fee rates generally depend on the seniority of the team member, the urgency of the matter, the location of the jurisdiction where the work is to be performed, the complexity of the case and whether court appearance will be required. Fees can vary widely.
Flat Fee
A flat fee is the fee agreed upon between us and the client in respect of the work to be done.
Fees Policy
Unless we agree specifically otherwise with the client, hourly fee rates would apply to the work to be done. For all work agreed to be performed, payment is required to be made in advance. The advance payment includes is our estimate of the total cost of the work to be done and it is not normally exceeded. Our fees are exclusive of disbursements (court fees, courier, translations, legalisation of documents, etc.) unless these are specifically included by mutual written agreement.
Calculation of Professional Fees
We take these important considerations into the establishment of our fees which can be discussed openly with the client at the pre-engagement stage:-
- Time and labour to be expended
- The complexities of the issues involved
- The skills required to perform the work
- The level of expertise of the attorney (or attorneys) required for the performance of the work
- The jurisdiction/s of the work and whether it is multi-jurisdictional/ multi-national, or not
- Urgency of the matters to be attended to
- Overhead costs in performing the services
- Whether other services (PR, risk management) are required to be performed
- The level of professional risk to our firm in providing the services.
Payment
Payment is accepted by electronic funds transfer, or by any other mutually convenient means. Clients are encouraged to ask any questions about our professional fees at any time.
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