Things To Consider Before Selecting A Freelance Lawyer:

Freelancing is the new way of working now. Because of COVID and the saturated job market, many professionals are now taking this route for their careers. Working in organizations has its benefits but working as a freelancer gives you liberty and freedom to work according to your and your client’s criterion.

You will find many professionals freelancing nowadays. You will find engineers, writers, designers, assistants, managers, and lawyers doing freelance work. Hiring them can be mutually beneficial, especially for small businesses. Startups and small businesses are always short of funds, and hiring a freelance lawyer can be less burdensome than hiring a law firm.

Freelance lawyers provide an affordable way for small businesses to get legal advice. Law firms and lawyers also hire freelance lawyers to do research and legal projects through platforms or directly. They are paid either by the hour or on a flat rate, but whichever it is, it is less than what a legal firm will charge you.

Why do legal firms hire freelance lawyers:

Legal firms also hire freelance lawyers or short-term lawyers frequently now. There are many reasons for doing that:

Sometimes law firms are not looking for long-term hires. They have an excessive workload or a complicated case to handle, and they want extra hands on deck. In those times they look for temp lawyers or freelancers. Hiring full-time, inexperienced lawyers is not feasible at the time because no senior lawyer is free to train them. So hiring experienced freelance lawyers is the best possible solution left.

Freelance hiring is very popular in other professions, and it is equally successful in legal services now. This temp job description does not just include paperwork, research, and paralegal work, but also includes handling cases in court. This hiring model works like a charm because it solves problems for all parties. For clients it brings talent to solve their problems, for law firms it provides extra help, and for a freelance lawyer, it provides an opportunity to offer services.

The current job market and economic conditions are prominent reasons why freelancing has become a popular career path. If you are still confused about whether you should choose a freelance lawyer or a legal firm, read further in the following paragraphs to make up your mind.

Things you should know before picking a freelance lawyer:

Every client is the priority:

For a freelance lawyer, every client matters. Giant law firms that cater to large corporations and big corporate accounts take most of the time and resources. Many important things fall in the gap because of their priorities. Revenue is the most important thing for big corporations, a small business cannot be considered a comparison against the revenue they get from big enterprises. This often happens in big law firms; however, a freelance lawyer is different.

For a freelance lawyer, every client is important as he usually doesn’t take on many cases simultaneously. Usually, he works on several accounts that he can give personal attention to. That is why he is attentive to every detail and special attention to every client.

More Cost-effective:

Hiring a freelancer is cheaper than hiring a big law firm, that is a given. Legal companies have large overheads and they need big accounts to meet these expenses. They also need more accounts to achieve the figure leading to charging more. Freelance lawyers don’t have such extensive overheads to meet, their offices are usually operated from either home or virtual office service. As they don’t charge much, they are ideal for small companies and startups.

You might feel that you are getting good services for your money with big law firms as they have different lawyers under one roof and can offer services for different problems and areas of law. But if you judge it on the value of cost-effectiveness, then hiring multiple freelance lawyers for different problems is more cost-effective than legal companies.

Better relationship building:

Freelance lawyers have the time to pay extra attention to you. They are always there for you and can set up meetings on short notice. Lawyers from big firms are not always available and if so, don’t have the time for discussions to explain things in detail. Your freelance lawyer can make things simpler for you by taking out time and making an extra effort to explain things in detail. They answer emails and calls quickly. That is why they make better relationships with their clients as compared to their hotshot counterparts.

The conclusion:

Getting legal services is an expensive affair, but freelance lawyers have made it easier and cheaper. But affordability is not the only reason you should opt for hiring one. They are experienced professionals that keep you as their priority. They make all their clients their priority. They make time for understanding you and your needs better because they don’t take too many cases. You can build a better rapport with them as compared to a big law firm. Small companies and startups feel more at ease when working with freelancers. Whatever the reason may be, before choosing to hire a freelance lawyer make sure you have measured the pros and cons of doing so.