Flat-fee billing isn't a discount — it's a different way of structuring legal work. Here's exactly how the model works, what's included in your fee, and how a typical engagement moves from first call to signed deliverable.
Quote turnaround: under 1 hour · Free consultation, no obligation
A flat fee is one price for the whole matter, agreed in writing before any work starts. It doesn't change based on how long the work takes, how many calls you make, or how many rounds of revisions a document needs. Your price is quoted in full after a free consultation, once we know what the matter actually involves.
Hourly billing works the other way around: you agree to a rate, not a price, and the total depends on how many hours the matter ends up taking. Two clients with the same kind of matter can receive very different bills, and neither of them knows the number until the work is finished.
What a flat fee buys is certainty rather than a discount. On a matter that runs smoothly, hourly billing can cost less. What the flat fee does is move the risk of a matter taking longer than expected from you to us: the number you are told is the number you pay, however many hours the work turns out to need. A residential closing can take us six hours or fifteen, and that difference does not change your price.
Flat fees work when the scope can be defined at the start, which covers most transactional work: closings, contracts, formations, registrations, agreements. They don't work when the cost depends on what someone else does. Litigation, contested divorces and regulatory defense are priced hourly for a reason, and we don't take those matters. If that's what you need, we'll say so during the consultation and point you to counsel who handles it.
Government and third-party costs are separate under any billing model, because they aren't paid to the firm: USPTO and state filing fees, transfer and recording taxes, title insurance, and New York's LLC publication cost. We go through these at the consultation so you see the full picture, not just the legal fee.
The hourly billable hour was invented in the 1950s as an internal accounting tool. Somehow it became the dominant way clients pay for legal work. It rewards inefficiency, hides cost, and creates an adversarial dynamic where the client wants the matter to end and the lawyer doesn't.
Across every practice area, your flat fee covers the entire legal scope of the matter we agree to handle. Specific scope is written into your engagement letter — but at the universal level, this is what's always in.
If a matter genuinely expands in scope — new parties, new entities, fundamentally different terms — we'll talk first before any new work begins. Scope creep doesn't become your bill.
These are paid to government offices, title companies, lenders, and other providers — not to the law firm. We tell you about them at the consultation so the total cost picture is clear.
Every engagement follows the same six steps. Practice-area specifics — closing day for real estate, USPTO timelines for trademark, attorney review periods for NJ deals — fit inside this framework.
You reach out by phone, email, or web form. We schedule a free 20–30 minute call to understand your matter — what you need done, who the other parties are, what success looks like, and whether your matter is a good fit for flat-fee billing. If it isn't (litigation, contested family law, regulatory enforcement), we tell you and point you toward counsel that handles it.
After the consultation, you receive a written quote — typically within an hour, often faster — with the scope of work clearly defined. The quote is what you'll pay. There's no markup at the end, no hourly add-ons, no surprise charges.
You sign an engagement letter that defines the scope and the fee. Payment terms vary by matter — some are paid in full at engagement, larger transactions can be split into milestones. Once the engagement letter is signed and payment is received, the work begins.
Drafting, review, negotiation, filings, signings, follow-ups — whatever the matter requires, all included in your fee. You hear from us proactively, not just when there's a question. Direct attorney representation throughout — no associate handoffs.
Closing day, document signing, registration confirmation, or whatever the deliverable looks like. We make sure the work is done, the documentation is in your hands, and any post-completion items (recording confirmations, registration certificates, executed agreements) are followed through.
You stay our client even after the matter closes. Quick follow-up questions on the work we did are answered without a new engagement. New matters get a new quote — same process, same flat-fee model.
A quick reference for what a typical engagement looks like in each of our practice areas. Each practice page goes deeper.
These are typical ranges, not promises.Every matter has its own facts — yours might price within these ranges, below them, or above them. We give you the actual number after a brief consultation, in writing, before any work begins.
Buyer or seller representation for single-family, multi-family, co-op, and condo transactions. Sponsor sales, commercial deals, and 1031 exchanges price separately.
See real estate →NY, NJ, or Delaware. Includes name search, filing, EIN, and operating agreement. NY publication costs paid separately. Custom multi-member governance prices higher.
See business →USPTO clearance search, application filing for one mark in one class, non-substantive Office Action responses. USPTO filing fees separate.
See business →Drafting, financial disclosure, negotiation, and execution. Each party should have independent counsel — total cost across both lawyers is roughly 2x.
See family law →Review and negotiation of severance agreements, releases, and separation packages. Executive severance with significant equity or restrictive covenants prices higher.
See employment →Recording agreements, talent contracts, production agreements, and similar deals. Simple releases and one-page deal memos price lower; complex multi-party deals price higher.
See entertainment →Because every matter is different, and an exact published price would either be inflated, to cover the worst case, or unrealistic, and require add-ons later. Both outcomes betray the flat-fee promise. Your quote comes after a brief consultation, once we understand what your matter actually involves, and it arrives within an hour. It is a fixed price for the agreed scope, not an estimate.
It means one price for the entire matter, agreed in writing before any work begins. The fee doesn't change based on how many hours the work takes, how many calls or emails you send, or how many rounds of revisions a document needs. Anything outside the legal work itself, such as government filing fees, transfer taxes and title insurance, is paid separately, because it isn't paid to the firm.
Not always. On a matter that goes smoothly, hourly billing can cost less. What a flat fee buys is certainty: the number you're quoted is the number you pay, and the risk of the matter taking longer than expected sits with the firm rather than with you. With hourly billing you agree to a rate rather than a price, so the total is not known until the work is done.
Nothing changes on your side. The quote covers the agreed scope including unlimited revisions, follow-up calls and routine complications, however long that takes. The only thing that triggers a new conversation is a genuine change in scope, such as new parties, new entities or fundamentally different terms, and we discuss that before any new work begins.
Your quote covers the scope agreed at the start, including unlimited revisions, follow-ups, and routine complications. If the scope changes meaningfully — new parties, new entities, fundamentally different terms — we discuss it before any new work begins. The flat-fee promise is that the scope-creep risk is ours, not yours.
For larger transactions, yes — payment can be structured by milestone (engagement, draft delivery, closing). Standard engagements are typically paid in full at engagement. We discuss payment structure at the consultation.
No. The firm focuses exclusively on transactional matters that can be scoped up front — closings, contracts, agreements, formations, registrations. We don't take litigation, contested family law, regulatory enforcement defense, or matters where the cost depends on what the other side does. If your matter is one of those, we'll tell you during the consultation and point you toward counsel that handles it.
Yes. The initial 20–30 minute consultation is genuinely free, with no obligation, and no pressure to engage. If we're not the right fit for your matter, we'll tell you. If we are, you'll receive a quote within an hour. You decide from there.
For most matters, work begins within 1–2 business days of the engagement letter being signed. Time-sensitive matters — closings under contract deadline, production-day clearances, last-minute prenups — we accelerate. Tell us the timeline at the consultation.
Bank transfer (ACH or wire), credit card, and check. Payment instructions are included with your engagement letter.
Free consultation. Quote in under an hour. No obligation.
Get your free quote →