About our fees

Because it is our usual practice to quote a fixed fee, our clients
somtimes ask us to explain the basis for that fee. With more than 22
years of experience, we believe that everything we create in this
practice is built upon what we have learned from our work with
previous clients. The trust, will and other documents we are creating for
you is not our product: our experience and expertise are what you are
paying for. The documents we draft are merely the most tangible part
of the entire service we provide.

When possible we quote you a flat fee for our work for several reasons.
First, it allows you to avoid being surprised by a bill at the end of a
project. Second, it allows you the freedom to call us at any time with
questions, which you might not do if you were being billed hourly. Third,
it allows you to feel comfortable setting meetings, contacting us on the
phone, reviewing drafts, even multiple drafts, without being charged
every time we make a change.

We use fixed fees to provide you comfort in planning. For simplicity,
the fees are structured around the documents we prepare. But, the fee
charged is not just for document preparation. That is just the tangible
result of our legal knowledge and skill applied to your specific situation.
The fixed fees include all the time you need with your attorney to
discuss your needs, ask questions, and decide on the appropriate
planning tools for you. Please keep in mind that we believe you are not
purchasing documents from us, but very focused legal advice and
expertise.

An old story illustrates our perspective. A man was having trouble with his sink draining properly.
After many attempts to make the repairs himself, in frustration he called a plumber to make the
repairs. The plumber listened carefully to the customer's situation, pulled out a hammer, leaned
under the sink and hit a pipe with the hammer. The drain immediately began flowing again. The
plumber then stated to the customer that the fee would be $500. The customer scoffed at the cost
and demanded that the plumber produce an itemized bill. The plumber agreed. The bill listed the
following items: "Hitting pipe with hammer: $1. Knowing where to hit: $499."

John Ruskin once made an important statement about payment for services: "It's unwise to pay too
much, but it's also unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was
incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits
paying a little and getting a lot; it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add
something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better."

Most people are looking for three things in purchasing a service such as ours: excellent quality,
excellent personal service, and the lowest possible fee. Unfortunately, all three are never present at
the same time, and one must be sacrificed.