Fixed fee vs hourly rate, what’s the difference and which is better?
An hourly rate means you’re billed for the actual time spent on your matter, which can vary depending on how complex or contested things become. A fixed fee means you agree on a set price upfront for a defined piece of work, regardless of how long it actually takes.
Neither is universally “better,” it depends on the type of matter. Fixed fees work well for predictable, well-defined tasks, like preparing and filing consent orders or an uncontested divorce application, because the scope of work is clear from the outset. Hourly billing tends to suit matters where the path forward isn’t yet clear, such as early-stage contested disputes where the other side’s position is still unknown.
What matters most isn’t which model you choose, it’s transparency. You should always know roughly what something is going to cost before the work begins, and never receive a surprise invoice. We offer fixed fees where appropriate specifically so you have that certainty, and we’re upfront when a matter is better suited to hourly billing and why.
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