Hired a big law firm for a lease dispute and went with a solo practitioner instead - night and day difference

I had a commercial lease issue with my landlord in Portland last year where they tried to charge me for repairs that were clearly their responsibility. I started with a big firm that charged $650 an hour and they just sent paralegals to every meeting. After 3 months and $4,200 in bills with no progress, I switched to a solo attorney who specialized in landlord tenant stuff. She actually read my lease line by line in the first meeting and had a demand letter written within 48 hours. Has anyone else found that smaller firms or solo lawyers give way more personal attention than the big outfits?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo23616d ago

Oh come on, that "read my lease line by line" story sounds like a stretch. Big firms have the resources to actually DO something if the case goes sideways, not just write a fancy letter. Your solo lawyer spent 48 hours on a demand letter, but what happens when the landlord's corporate attorneys show up with a motion to dismiss? Youre going to pay another $4,200 just for her to figure out if she needs to hire someone else. I had a guy dump his solo lawyer mid-case because she couldnt afford to depose anyone, ended up costing him DOUBLE in the end. There is a reason partners at big firms charge $1000 an hour - they have whole teams of associates and paralegals who actually DO the work while you get the phone calls. Plus that $650 an hour firm probably would have gotten your deposit back AND repaired costs, not just sent a letter.

the_riley16d ago

$1000 an hour buys you a legal army, not just one lawyer.