If you have ever watched some of the most popular legal shows, whether you were an “LA Law” fan or prefer “The Good Wife,” you may get the idea that the law is exciting and full of intrigue at every turn. While there are moments of excitement for every attorney, the reality is that is that most lawyers often work very long hours both during the week and on the weekend.
Attorneys, in private practice, generally either work for large law firms that employ many attorneys (let’s say over ten) or a smaller law firm with less than ten attorneys. The larger law firms generally come with a lot of overhead expenses. There are the large offices, the high downtown rent and parking, the salaries for the partners, associates, paralegals, administrative assistants, etc. While higher hourly rates for a large law firm’s partners and associates may be charged for the knowledge and skill of the attorney assigned to your case (and the complexity of the case), the large law firms also charges higher hourly rates to cover its many overhead expenses.
A small firm or solo practitioner, with same knowledge and professional skills as a partner in a large firm, will also provide excellent legal representation while often charging a much lower hourly rate because of lower overhead (smaller offices, lower rent, etc.) and fewer employee paychecks to distribute.
As an attorney, associated with a smaller law firm and with over 23 years of legal experience, I provide affordable and competent criminal defense and civil litigation services to a variety of clients in Cleveland and around Ohio. If you have a legal question or concern, contact Cleveland Ohio criminal and civil attorney Jeff Hastings for a free consultation.