How Our Legal Fees Work

Fee Structure by Type of Matter

Estate Planning

Wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and the funding work that makes a trust actually function are quoted as a flat fee after the initial consultation. The quote lists the documents and services included. If your situation calls for something more layered, we tell you that up front and price it before proceeding.

Business Formation, Contracts, and Governance

Entity formation, operating agreements and shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, and contract drafting or review are priced as flat fees per deliverable. You know what a given document or package costs before we draft it. Ongoing needs usually make more sense under the general counsel model below.

Outside General Counsel

A flat monthly retainer covering a defined set of services (typically contract review, day-to-day legal questions, vendor and employment issues, and strategic input) with a clear overage rate for anything beyond that scope. Some clients prefer hourly with a monthly cap; both work. If litigation arises, it is scoped and engaged separately, usually hourly, so your retainer stays predictable. Companies evaluating a fractional general counsel arrangement can compare this directly against the cost of a part-time in-house hire; that comparison is the point of the model.

Construction Liens

Notices to Owner, claims of lien, releases, and lien contests are typically flat fee. Lien foreclosure and defending against wrongful liens are litigation and follow the hourly structure below. Our free lien deadline calculator is exactly that: free.

Civil and Commercial Litigation

Litigation is billed hourly because its scope depends on the other side as much as on us. What we control is transparency: a written budget estimate at the outset, regular invoicing with detailed time entries, and budget updates when the case changes shape. We take litigation as a whole matter, from the first demand letter through judgment or settlement. Limited scope engagements are rare and considered case by case; we do not quote a single hearing, deposition, or document review as a bargain substitute for having a lawyer on the case. Contingency arrangements exist for specific commercial case types where the structure fits both sides.

Personal Injury, Boating, and Cruise Ship Injury

Injury cases are handled on a contingency fee: the attorney's fee is a percentage of any recovery, and it is owed only if there is a recovery. The percentage and how it may change if the case proceeds to litigation are stated in the engagement agreement. Costs and expenses (medical records, expert witnesses, filing fees, deposition transcripts) are separate from the attorney's fee, and the agreement explains exactly how they are handled. You will understand the numbers before you sign.

Maritime Matters

Maritime work spans injury claims (contingency), transactional matters such as vessel documentation and charter agreements (flat fee where scope is defined), and admiralty litigation (hourly with a budget). We tell you which bucket your matter falls in during the first call.

What a Flat Fee Includes, and What It Doesn't

A flat fee covers the attorney work described in the engagement agreement: consultations, drafting, revisions within the defined scope, signing, and the follow-through the scope calls for. It does not include third-party costs, which are passed through at cost: court filing fees, county recording fees, process servers, certified copies, expert witnesses, and similar out-of-pocket expenses. If your matter grows beyond the original scope, we tell you before doing the additional work and quote it in writing. No surprise invoices, ever.

How You Get a Quote

1. An initial consultation. A short call to understand your situation and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. Free for personal injury and estate planning matters.
2. A written proposal. The fee structure, the scope, what is included, and what is separate.
3. A signed engagement agreement. Nothing is billed, and no attorney-client relationship exists, until both of us sign it.

Why We Publish This

Because the question everyone has is the one most firms refuse to answer online. Clear fees are part of how a boutique firm competes with larger ones: you get direct access to the attorney handling your matter, and you get pricing you can plan around. If you are comparing firms, ask each of them these questions and see who answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Scheer Legal charge flat fees?

Yes, for defined-scope work: estate plans, business formations, operating agreements, contract drafting, lien notices and claims, and similar matters. The fee and exactly what it covers are stated in a written engagement agreement before work begins. Flat fees do not apply to litigation or other open-ended matters.

How does a general counsel retainer work?

A flat monthly fee for a defined set of services, with a stated overage rate beyond that scope. Litigation is engaged and billed separately. Hourly-with-a-cap arrangements are also available.

How is litigation billed?

Hourly, with a written budget estimate up front, regular detailed invoicing, and budget updates as the case develops. We take litigation as a whole matter. Limited scope engagements are rare and considered case by case, never as a bargain substitute for having a lawyer on the case.

What does a personal injury or cruise ship injury case cost?

Contingency: the attorney's fee is a percentage of any recovery and is owed only if there is one. Costs and expenses are separate and explained in writing before you sign. Consultations are free.

Is the first consultation free?

For personal injury and estate planning matters, yes. For business, litigation, construction and general counsel matters, the initial call is short and it ends with you knowing how the fee would work.

What is not included in a flat fee?

Third-party costs such as filing fees, recording fees, process servers, certified copies, and expert witnesses. Work outside the defined scope is quoted separately in writing before it is done.

Fee structures described here are general. The fee for any particular matter depends on its facts and is set only in a written engagement agreement. Nothing on this page is an offer to handle a specific matter at a specific price. Contingency fee arrangements are subject to the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. See also our Terms of Use.