What does a fixed fee solicitor actually mean? A plain guide.
Everyone advertises fixed fees now. Few mean the same thing by it. Here is what the phrase should mean, and the questions that expose when it does not.
The real definition
A genuine fixed fee is a price for a defined scope, agreed in writing before any payment, that does not change unless you both agree new scope in writing. It moves the risk of the work taking longer from you to the solicitor, which is precisely why hourly firms resist it.
Four questions that test any fixed fee
First: is the scope written down? A fee without a scope is an estimate wearing a costume. Second: what happens if the matter needs more work, is the addition priced before it starts? Third: are official fees and VAT inside or outside the number? A £500 fee plus VAT plus disbursements is not £500. This practice charges no VAT at all: the price quoted is the price paid. Fourth: when do you pay, and what have you seen in writing before you do?
Why we run everything on fixed fees
Every matter on our schedule, from a £245 NDA to M&A deal stages, is priced before it begins, in writing, with the exact fee never changing after that. Returning clients keep their original rates for 12 months. It is not generosity; it is alignment. When the fee is fixed, the only way the solicitor wins is by doing the work well and fast.
If you are comparing providers, take our test above to each of them. The ones who fail it are telling you something useful.
Every matter above is delivered at a fixed fee agreed in writing before you pay, with a written reply within 24 hours. Send your enquiry.