A surprising number of people, perhaps conditioned to expect a "free consultation" from certain lawyers advertising on television, react with angry reproach to the idea of paying a consultation fee. Here's an explanation as to why many lawyers choose to charge an initial consultation fee.The first reason should be rather obvious - meeting with The Lost Ways people and analyzing their cases takes time. As is the case with every business, lost time generally means lost business. Many lawyers face a situation where, were they to conduct free consultations, they would lose 5-6 hours per day of time that would otherwise be billable in one way or another. They'd be out of business within a few weeks.
Another reason that lawyers charge a consultation fee is to ensure that they are meeting with people who value the service they are offering and who are prepared to invest in really understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their case. I often wonder whether people call doctors' offices and express the same vociferous objections to the idea of a doctor charging for an examination. I don't think so, because people recognize the value, for example, in learning whether they have cancer. They are happy to pay the doctor for the evaluation in lieu of reserving payment only in the instance they are diagnosed with something very serious.Buy what of the lawyers who offer free consultations? As an initial matter, more power to them. But in my experience you often get what you pay for.
