[flakeoil]

This is why one should agree on and pay fixed pricing to lawyers. Most of it is just standard procedures which don't take much time and should be easy to estimate. Most of the work is done by the secretaries anyway. Lawyers even charge huge amounts for taking simple photo copies.

[adrianparlow]

We're starting to see more and more of this actually! Some kinds of legal work fit flat fees well -- eg. immigration or company incorporations. Other kinds are highly variable and unpredictable (eg. litigation or anything involving external negotiations) and so will likely remain on the billable hour