How We Charge for Legal Services
Legal fees shouldn’t be confusing.
Have you ever felt confused about billing? You’re not alone. Legal fees are notoriously opaque. In fact, it’s estimated that a staggering 70% of clients express frustration over unexpected legal costs. At Implement Legal, transparency is one of our core values—with clients, with counterparties, and in our pricing. Transparency about legal fees is key to building attorney-client trust. Here’s how transparency benefits you:
Greater Control: Transparency allows clients to make informed decisions based on their financial situations.
Increased Trust: Being upfront about costs builds a collaborative relationship rather than one based only on transactional exchanges.
Reduced Stress: Knowing exactly what you will be paying for and when reduces anxiety and builds confidence in your legal representation.
In this extensive guide, we break down Implement’s different types of legal fees, explain why we divide between flat fee and hourly projects, and provide you with insights that will empower you to make informed decisions about your representation. So, let’s get started!
“Outgoing” = Flat Fee
When we start a project in-house, we charge a flat fee. If we can use our extensive archive, shape the conversation, and determine the timeline, then we have control over the scope. Because our attorneys have done each of our flat fee projects so many times, we know exactly how long these projects take and exactly how much we need to charge. (This is where Rob’s MBA is so helpful—his pricing spreadsheets are gorgeous.)
Every project we’ve ever done for a client is now assigned to one of three categories, based on a guaranteed delivery timeline*:
Week
Week-long projects include one attorney meeting, unlimited calls and emails, and client portal access. Examples include reviewing a service contract or completing a preliminary clearance search for a trademark.
Month
One-month projects include three attorney meetings, unlimited calls and emails, and client portal access. A month-long project might include preparing all of the documents necessary for selling your business or a full clearance search and filing of a trademark application.
Quarter
Quarter-long projects include five attorney meetings, unlimited calls and emails, and client portal access. These multifaceted projects, which might include all-inclusive business start-ups or intellectual property audits, help secure your overall business strategy.
You can find the full breakdown of Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly flat-fee projects in our 2025 Fee Schedule.
* Guaranteed unless the client needs to delay.
“Incoming” = Hourly
All of our projects are categorized as Week, Month, or Quarter, with guaranteed timelines. However, we charge hourly when asked to work on someone else’s words—whether reviewing a contract sent to you, reviewing the other side’s requested changes, negotiating on your behalf, or reviewing something you built with ChatGPT. A minimum retainer applies to all hourly projects.
Read more in our 2025 Fee Schedule.
Legal Consultations
When you don’t know what you need, you need a legal consultation.
Loops and Leaps™
Loops and Leaps™ (formerly known as Protect Your Magic®) is our firm’s signature service, designed to help you close open “loops” so you can take big “leaps.” During this consultation, we review your legal, business, tax, and financial questions, and create an overarching strategy for all of your service needs. We then onboard you for three months of support in our Continuous Counsel program (see below).
Attorney Q&A
Have a question for Rob? Want to pick Katherine’s brain? Schedule an Attorney Q&A. This session is a catchall for those times when you don’t know what you need, and no other service fits.
You can learn more about the consultations we offer here: Legal Consultations: What to Expect
Continuous Counsel
Continuous Counsel is our priority-availability membership service. This is VIP service for the regular client who is committed to taking care of their business through preventative maintenance. The client who anticipates intense legal needs for the next quarter. The client who needs to feel assured that it’s OK to check in every week, and we’ll always have a spot for them.
This offering was designed to respond to our clients’ most frequent requests. Benefits include:
Priority availability for all projects. (Non-members join the waitlist.)
No-charge “quick questions” via email. (Non-members must schedule Attorney Q&A.)
No-charge review of inbound RFPs and NDAs. (Non-members must pay an hourly retainer.)
Automatic contract template upgrades. (Non-members do not have access.)
Reduced hourly fees of $350/hr. (Non-members pay $400/hr.)
Extended payment plans available. (Non-members pay in full up front.)
Learn more: Continuous Counsel
Questions?
Visit our FAQ. If you’re new to the firm, schedule an Initial Consultation or reach out to us at hello[at]implement.com. If you’re a returning client, we’re excited to hear from you! Send us an email or schedule your appointment via Calendly.
