Callers to my office often expect a free consultation.  Somehow, bankruptcy attorneys got in the habit of so undervaluing what they do that they gave it away for nothing. I have always swum up stream on this one: there has always been some sort of charge for my time, usually discounted, but a charge nonetheless.

But maybe I’ve been wrong.  A client came to me recently after a free consultation with another bankruptcy lawyer.  I was interested in what had occurred that the client and attorney didn’t bond.  I probed.  Come to find out, the free “consultation” was 15 minutes long and the client was instructed to bring no documents!

In my book, that’s not a consultation, that’s an introduction to the lawyer and sitting through a sales pitch.  So maybe what others have been giving away isn’t really legal advice but marketing.

Like it or not, bankruptcy involves the sweep of a client’s life, their living situation, financial history, goals, debts, assets, and financial interconnections with others.  I have trouble getting that information, analyzing it, and making recommendations to the client in less than an hour, and often two hours.

The initial consultation is some of the best work I do and the most valuable.  I charge for it because I invest real work in that meeting.  I want the client to leave with real information and an overview of their choices.