Internet Law Firm: How Much Does An Internet Attorney Charge?
The question isn’t how much an Internet attorney charges…it is, “How much money can an Internet lawyer save you?”
If seeking qualified legal counsel prevents just one lawsuit or government investigation, chances are you’ve made an excellent return on your investment.
When you do retain Internet legal counsel to represent your Web business, the attorney fees for professional services rendered will vary. For example, some projects take a little time. Others are complex and involve a lot of time.
Where the scope of work can be defined in advance, your Internet lawyer may handle a particular legal project for a flat fee. If the work is going to take an unknown amount of time because it is ongoing or open-ended, you’re likely to be charged by the hour billed in 1/10 or 1/4 hour increments.
For flat fee Internet legal work, you’ll probably have to pay in advance. For hourly work, your Internet law firm may require a retainer to bill against. This type of prepayment is done to protect your lawyer’s interest and you in the process. Because practicing law is a business, your lawyer is going to want to be paid. The longer a law firm waits to collect (just like any business), the odds of receiving payment decreases exponentially.
Because of rules of professional conduct (and it is the right thing to do), your Internet lawyer will explain billing practices and procedures at the beginning of your relationship.
Internet Lawyer: When Should You Hire Cyber General Counsel?
Most entrepreneurs mistakenly refer to the creation of an attorney-client relationship as “hiring” a lawyer. In most instances, the relationship is actually one of independent contractor rather than employer-employee. However, there may come a point in your Internet business that you find you’re spending so much on legal fees that it may make sense to really hire an Internet attorney as your in-house legal counsel. As the employer, you exert more control over the work done. Because these are typically salary arrangements, you can reduce legal costs or at a minimum budget for them like any other employee in your online company.
When should you hire an Internet lawyer as an employee? There’s no hard rule for that. However, if you’re spending more than $200,000 a year in legal fees paid to an Internet law firm, you should consider the in-house counsel alternative.
Will all Internet lawyers agree to become employees? Of course not. Many prefer to be their own bosses rather than answer to one…just like you as a business owner. However, there are some who will if the salary and hours are right.
Is there a hybrid arrangement for Internet companies that need steady legal representation but not full-time legal counsel? Yes, some firms (including this law firm) offer Internet legal services as part-time cyber general counsel for online companies. Although the terms vary by client and law firm, these types of arrangements typically involve an attorney-client contractual relationship based on the client retaining the Internet lawyer for X number of hours per month essentially acting as the Internet business’ general counsel but without an employer-employee relationship. The business has the advantages of budgeting for legal services to be rendered without incurring the obligations of hiring an Internet attorney as a full-time employee.
