The law firm playbook

In our experience, no. Clients who read a clear explanation usually see how much can go wrong and want someone to handle it. The firm that explained the problem is the one they are most likely to call. A short note that the page is general information, not advice on an individual matter, is enough for most firms.

A great deal. They are independent, researched and organised by practice and region, which is the same shape as the questions clients ask. If you are not ranked, a well-prepared submission with strong client referees is worth the effort alongside the website work. Chambers says it conducts over 366,000 research interviews and surveys with in-house counsel a year.

It depends on the size and structure of the deal and how much due diligence the buyer wants, so we do not quote market figures. Company sales are not on the SRA's transparency list, but the Code requires the best possible information about pricing. Publish what drives the cost and a typical range for your usual deal size, and the assistant has a real answer to give.

For defined work, a fixed fee gives a small business certainty. For disputes or deals whose scope changes, hourly billing with a clear estimate may be fairer to both sides. What matters is that the scope and the triggers for extra charges are written down before work starts. A firm that explains this plainly on its own site is the one quoted.