Why do lawyers charge so much money?

Question

33% is too much for the little bit of work that they do.

I still think that they don't do hard work. Anyone can do a lawyers job...is all book reading...uuuuu that is so difficult! blah they get paid too much!!!

Answer 1

Okay:
First, 33% is not too much. I'm assuming that this means they're taking your case on a contingency. This means they're taking a RISK on your case. If they lose, they get nothing (except costs like filing fees and copies, etc.). Tell that to any other professional: "Okay, teacher, we'll employ you and give you 10% of my kid's income after he graduates, but if he doesn't finish college, we'll pay you nothing." Who would take that deal? Be thankful that there are attorneys who take contingency fee cases at all. Would you have $10,000 to front a car accident case?

(2) Law is expensive. Books are expensive. (one good treatise covering the area of law that your lawyer uses could cost $10,000 to buy and $1,000 a year to update.) Research is expensive. Depositions and preparation is expensive. You don't see the expense from other professionals because it's covered by the larger community (i.e. you pay 1% of the price of your Slurpee to pay the CEO of 7-Eleven's salary) or because it's covered by a third-party or insurance (take a look at Dr. bills if you think lawyers are expensive)!

(3) You're paying for them not just to "read" all day, but for their experience, training, and education, as well as their negotiation skill and advocacy skills. Good luck with you navigating the intricacies of insurance law, dealing with adjusters who don't want to give you what you deserve for your claim, and courts who severely punish parties who don't follow the rules. Just because it doesn't involve lifting 1,000 lb weights up a mountain doesn't mean it's not valuable.

(4) We understand that legal services are expensive. But the system has run away with itself.

Answer 2

They don't 'charge' 33%. They take 33% of a judgment awarded by a court or jury. They do ALL the work, pay ALL the fees, write ALL the briefs, spend LOTS of man-hours, and they get 1/3. If you think it's only a 'little work', you have the freedom to not use an attorney and try to take it to court yourself. Good luck.

Answer 3

Really?

They finance the case, take all the risk, will wait until forever to get paid if the case takes that long, and have spent years getting graduate degrees and practicing law, and you went and did something dumb and now you need them.

It is supply and demand, mostly.

But if you want to pay less in the end, you can reduce their risk of financing the case by paying their hourly rates.

Of course, then you take the risk of estimating how long it will take, but if you guess right and it is only a little, you might come out ahead.

And of course if even that doesn't seem like a risk worth taking, you can exercise your right to represent yourself, and take ALL of the risk and gather ALL of the rewards.

See how the negotiation works? :) It is really up to you - you decide how to allocate risk, and with that comes a way to allocate the rewards.

Answer 4

If you think the price of education is expensive, you should try the price of ignorance. Don't want to pay a lawyer? Rea the law and go it alone. I however do not recommend this approach.

Answer 5

Because they can, who else are you going to go to for legal advice! Supply and Demand baby, just like Oil!

Answer 6

They are scum.


Want proof?

Bill Clinton
John Edwards


Need more?

Answer 7

like wingshooter said... because they can

Answer 8

PURE GREED.