These days, dropping $4 for a cappuccino or two grand for a fancy flatscreen television is a considered a typical purchase, not a wasteful extravagance. Tipping waitstaff 20% or slipping a few extra bucks to a skycap is standard practice. Popular opinion on billable hourly rates for professional services, however, varies from begrudging acceptance to outright mockery. Should we open our wallets or raise our fists?

In a recent editorial in the Colorado Springs Gazette, columist Jim Flynn wrestles with the debate over hourly rates at law firms. On the one hand, rates of $1,000 per hour for superstar attorneys sounds preposterous, but the power of the most elite legal team will often earn settlements that easily cover their fees. Some claim that charging for time encourages service providers to pad estimates and dawdle to earn more funds. The problem is magnified by overachieving junior staff, who are competiting with eachother for the most billable hours and the least amount of sleep. Furthermore, providing incentives such as bonuses and accolades as rewards for total charges rather than quality of work surely benefits the firm at the detriment of the client.

On the other hand, Flynn clearly articulates a reasonable counterargument:

“Good lawyers are too busy to revel in inefficiency. They want to get their work done, provide cost-effective services for their clients, and have enough time and energy left to go to their kids’ soccer game or read a book. ”

At Slaughter Development, we believe that clients should pay for results moreso than work. We offer a range of packages which include stated prices and services. We list a standard billing rate to establish our cost structure and professional level; however, we prefer to contribute to your organization not on the basis of time elapsed but instead on the measure of progress.  Learn more about our pricing or about your financing options, and if you are ready to make contact, reach out to Slaughter Development today!

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