Hiring a Lawyer Legal Questions, Answered

Lawyers bill four ways — hourly, flat fee, contingency, and retainer. What each model costs, when it's used, and the questions that prevent fee surprises.

Expected value, risk tolerance, cost curves, precedent and privacy — the actual calculus lawyers run when advising settlement or trial.

Demand letters resolve most disputes for the price of a stamp; small claims handles modest sums fast; full litigation is for stakes that justify its machinery.