Key Reminders about Custom Services
▶️ Custom Services are to be used when the service is not covered or is beyond Goodlawyer’s Fixed Fee menu.
▶️ Custom Services should be priced according to their scope and value.
▶️ As with our Fixed Fee services, all Custom Services delivered over the Platform include one round of “Minor Revisions”, which means any other work related to the deliverable that takes the Lawyer less than 30 minutes to complete.
▶️ Titles and descriptions of Custom Services should clearly articulate the scope and price of the service.
▶️ All Disbursements are to be billed as Custom Services, with the non-taxable box checked.
▶️ Goodlawyer’s Custom Quoting tool allows Lawyers to create a Custom Quote that can include multiple related Custom Services on one Quote for efficiency purposes.
▶️ Quotes do not expire by default, but Lawyers can add an expiration date of their choosing.
How Do I Send a Quote for Custom Services to a Client?
What Needs to be Included in a Quote?
There are some mandatory fields for every Quote, and some optional fields. By default, all optional fields will be turned off. Lawyers can add these components to their Quotes using the left hand control panel, toggling additional fields on or off.
A view of the Quoting tool.
Click on the circular info icons throughout the quoting tool to see guidance on how to use each section.
Mandatory Fields
Title
When creating a title for the Custom Service, ensure it is sufficiently descriptive so the Client can easily identify the service on their dashboard. General or opaque titles should be avoided.
Line Items
Lawyers can use the Goodlawyer fixed-fee menu or create custom line items.
When pricing a custom line item, it is best practice to take time to think about the matter, assess its complexity and value, and determine the approximate time it will take to complete.
Not only will taking this time assist you in accurately Quoting the project, but it will also allow you to be more efficient in delivering the service.
Pricing
When pricing a Custom Service, it is best practice to take time to think about the matter, assess its complexity and value, and determine the approximate time it will take to complete.
Not only will taking this time assist you in accurately Quoting the project, but it will also allow you to be more efficient in delivering the service.
Tips for custom pricing:
- Avoid round numbers like $5000. Try something like $4970 instead. This has a psychological effect and makes your quotes seem more accurate and reliable.
- Always review the “legal fee” line. This is the fee that you are charging. Service fee’s are Goodlawyers cut.
Titles
When creating a title for the Custom Service, ensure it is sufficiently descriptive so the Client can easily understand the deliverable. General or opaque titles should be avoided.
A “good” Custom Service title should follow these guidelines:
- Clearly name the service or deliverable (e.g., Shareholders Agreement).
- Use "Custom" if an existing Fixed Fee service exists, but the matter is beyond the scope of a Basic or Complex tier (e.g., Custom Master Service Agreement).
- Identify the source of any fees (e.g., Government Incorporation Filing Fees).
- For non-deliverable services, explain what the line item is regarding (e.g., Negotiations re: Letter of Intent; Legal Research re: Obligations of Directors, etc.).
- If you are selling a block of time to a Client, detail the objective and amount of time bought by the Client (e.g., Ongoing Corporate Maintenance - 10 Hour Time Block).
Custom Service titles should avoid:
- Insufficient or ambiguous descriptions (e.g., Disbursements, Legal services, Fee, Research, Negotiations, etc.).
- Describing services in hourly rates (other than blocks of time sold to the Client). eg., Shareholder Agreement - 3 Hours).
- Using acronyms, as Clients rarely know what they mean (e.g., LOI, MSA, etc.).
If you are unsure if the title of your Custom Service is sufficient, please send a screenshot to a member of the Legal Concierge™ Team.
Descriptions
Lawyers should include enough detail in the “Line-item description” to give the Client a firm understanding of the scope of the engagement, and the deliverable they will receive at the end of the service (if applicable).
Clearly articulating the Custom Service helps prevent misunderstandings and is a form of protection for lawyers in the event of a dispute.
Custom Quoting Multiple Services
If the Client requires more than one Custom Service (e.g., Custom Stock Option Plan & Custom Employment Agreement), it is best practice to send each item as an individual Custom Quote. Doing so gives lawyers the ability to bill upon completion of individual deliverables rather than having to bill it all lump sum at the end (which typically involves more credit risk).
If the above is impractical, Goodlawyer's Custom Quoting tool allows lawyers to add multiple line items (along with descriptions), to Custom Quotes.
This means lawyers can include multiple line items on one Quote. This feature should typically be used where multiple deliverables relate to the same matter.
For example, if the Client requires an Asset Purchase Agreement that includes a Custom Shareholder Agreement and Employment Agreement(s), combining it all into one Custom Quote is more efficient.
Please do NOT combine multiple services into a single line item (e.g., Shareholder Agreement & Stock Option Plan). These should either be sent as separate quotes, or as individual line items on the same quote.
Lawyers do not have to detail every single deliverable in a larger project.
For example, if you are assisting with an Asset Purchase, you need not list the Resolutions, Reps & Warranties, or other minor documents involved with these transactions, however, it is up to a Lawyer’s discretion to ensure they are providing an adequate level of detail and communication for each respective client.