Are solicitors reducing their fees for online advice?

[belfry]

Does anyone know whether UK law firms are reducing the fees as clients will not be able to have meetings with thei lLawyer in person duringThe lockdown period?

I Have some legal work that needs doingAnd I was wondering what was happening out there?

Many thanks

[PrinceRupert]

No.

At least, not large ones.

We never really saw our clients anyway!

[ATG]

Not sure why you'd expect it to be cheaper for a solicitor to speak to you on a video call rather than in person. They'll be saving on biscuits perhaps, but primarily you're paying for their time.

[So]

ATG said:

Not sure why you'd expect it to be cheaper for a solicitor to speak to you on a video call rather than in person. They'll be saving on biscuits perhaps, but primarily you're paying for their time.

Wait. Are people getting biscuits?

We used to get a case of wine at Christmas, but now it's limited to tiny boiled sweets at reception. If other people are getting biscuits we're switching firms.

[PrinceRupert]

So said:

Wait. Are people getting biscuits?

We used to get a case of wine at Christmas, but now it's limited to tiny boiled sweets at reception. If other people are getting biscuits we're switching firms.

We have homemade cookies, three flavours.

I interviewed at a firm that had pick and mix in glass jars and cheese and onion popcorn.

[So]

PrinceRupert said:

So said:

Wait. Are people getting biscuits?

We used to get a case of wine at Christmas, but now it's limited to tiny boiled sweets at reception. If other people are getting biscuits we're switching firms.

We have homemade cookies, three flavours.

I interviewed at a firm that had pick and mix in glass jars and cheese and onion popcorn.

Did you get offered the job?

[PrinceRupert]

So said:

Did you get offered the job?

No, possibly ate too much of the popcorn. Maybe it was a test.

[So]

PrinceRupert said:

So said:

Did you get offered the job?

No, possibly ate too much of the popcorn. Maybe it was a test.

I've heard reports from London firms of their foreign clients emptying the complementary treats into their pockets when leaving the building. You didn't do that, did you?

[PrinceRupert]

So said:

I've heard reports from London firms of their foreign clients emptying the complementary treats into their pockets when leaving the building. You didn't do that, did you?

I didn't - though I do like to feast on rival firms freebies. When I left the interview for the firm I now work at, I was offered a homemade cookie in each flavour they had to take with me (three - white chocolate, dark chocolate and raisin). I took them. Seemed to win me some favour.

[So]

PrinceRupert said:

So said:

I've heard reports from London firms of their foreign clients emptying the complementary treats into their pockets when leaving the building. You didn't do that, did you?

I didn't. When I left the interview for the firm I now work at, I was offered a homemade cookie in each flavour they had to take with me (three - white chocolate, dark chocolate and raisin). I took them. Seemed to win me some favour.

Biscuits are an underrated communication medium.

I chose my university on the basis of biscuits.

[Gixer968CS]

I've just engaged a solicitor and her rates are unchanged. I don't know why they would discount tbh as it's their intellectual capital you're paying for, which you buy in units of time. If they sold their office, went to an on-line service model and therefore reduced their overhead then maybe you could argue for a reduction, but in the case of Covid this hasn't happened.

[ATG]

We used to have biscuits. Really good biscuits. But we're now very tightly regulated and biscuits are seen as an improper inducement. We used to be self-regulating. We used to take long lunches. We used to kill time between the markets closing and the budget being announced by going to the Windmill club. Back in a minute. I'm going to have a little cry.

[iphonedyou]

belfry said:

Does anyone know whether UK law firms are reducing the fees as clients will not be able to have meetings with thei lLawyer in person duringThe lockdown period?

I Have some legal work that needs doingAnd I was wondering what was happening out there?

Many thanks

Ours isn't - would be weird if they did.

I run a PM / QS firm and we're charging the same as we did before. I imagine all services firms are.

[Simpo Two]

So said:

I chose my university on the basis of biscuits.

The Environment Agency is known to spend their entire income on chocolate hob-nobs. It can be the only explanation why they never do anything and never have no money.

[belfry]

iphonedyou said:

Ours isn't - would be weird if they did.

I run a PM / QS firm and we're charging the same as we did before. I imagine all services firms are.

I asked the question because I run clinics providing psychological treatment to patients. Some have been asking about discounts for Zoom psychiatric or psychotherapist sessions.

[andy43]

belfry said:

iphonedyou said:

Ours isn't - would be weird if they did.

I run a PM / QS firm and we're charging the same as we did before. I imagine all services firms are.

I asked the question because I run clinics providing psychological treatment to patients. Some have been asking about discounts for Zoom psychiatric or psychotherapist sessions.

I’d say in your case that’s fair enough. Those big rolls of bog paper stuff you roll out over the couch can’t come cheap.

[loafer123]

PrinceRupert said:

So said:

Wait. Are people getting biscuits?

We used to get a case of wine at Christmas, but now it's limited to tiny boiled sweets at reception. If other people are getting biscuits we're switching firms.

We have homemade cookies, three flavours.

I interviewed at a firm that had pick and mix in glass jars and cheese and onion popcorn.

Linklaters used to have Jelly Beans. I know because I emptied the entire meeting room floor of them to keep the blood sugar levels up for the team on an all night M&A deal.

[ATG]

belfry said:

iphonedyou said:

Ours isn't - would be weird if they did.

I run a PM / QS firm and we're charging the same as we did before. I imagine all services firms are.

I asked the question because I run clinics providing psychological treatment to patients. Some have been asking about discounts for Zoom psychiatric or psychotherapist sessions.

Yeah, but they're all nutters, aren't they

[loafer123]

ATG said:

belfry said:

iphonedyou said:

Ours isn't - would be weird if they did.

I run a PM / QS firm and we're charging the same as we did before. I imagine all services firms are.

I asked the question because I run clinics providing psychological treatment to patients. Some have been asking about discounts for Zoom psychiatric or psychotherapist sessions.

Yeah, but they're all nutters, aren't they

[JQ]

belfry said:

I asked the question because I run clinics providing psychological treatment to patients. Some have been asking about discounts for Zoom psychiatric or psychotherapist sessions.

Absolutely not. They are paying for your time and expertise. I provide consultancy advice and my rates are unchanged. Drop your rates and it'll be very difficult to put them back up again.

My wife has a private podiatry clinic and is putting her prices up to reflect increased risk and costs of PPE.

Perhaps suggest to them you increase your prices as their travel costs have been reduced and their time impact is far less (they don't have to drive to your clinic).