How fee structures are described

Flat or fixed fee

One stated price for a defined piece of work. The useful question is where the definition ends.

• What exactly does this price include?
• How many meetings and rounds of revisions does it cover?
• What would make the price change?
• Are there costs outside the fee, such as filing, recording or travel charges?

Hourly billing

You pay for time recorded, usually at a rate that varies by who does the work. The total depends on how much time the work takes, so ask for a range.

• What is the rate for each person who may work on this?
• In what increments do you bill?
• What total range do you expect, and what would push it higher?
• How often will I get a bill, and what will it show?

Retainer or advance payment

Some firms ask for money before work begins. Firms use the word in different ways, so ask what it means at this firm.

• How much is it, and when is it due?
• How is it applied to my bills?
• What happens to any amount that is not used?

Packages and levels

Some firms group work into named tiers. The names are the firm's own and do not carry the same meaning from one firm to the next, so compare what is included, not what the level is called.

Free, complimentary, or included consultations

These can mean a 15-minute call, a 30-minute meeting, or a first meeting that is part of a later fee. Ask how long it is, who you will speak with, and whether any advice given then is covered by a later charge.

Comparing two quotes

Two prices are only comparable if they cover the same work. Ask each firm to describe the scope in writing and read those descriptions side by side. If one firm's price is much lower or higher, ask both what accounts for it.

What the Minnesota conduct rules say about fee talk

The Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct set the standard lawyers work under. Rule 1.5 says a fee and expenses must be reasonable, and lists factors such as the time and skill involved, the fee customarily charged locally for similar work, and whether the fee is fixed or contingent.

Rule 1.5(b) says the lawyer should tell the client the scope of the work and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after starting. It also says changes to the rate must be communicated.

Rule 1.15 requires money paid in advance to be held in a trust account until earned, and Rule 1.5 says an advance payment is presumed unearned, with exceptions that include flat fees. Fee agreements may not describe a fee as nonrefundable or earned on receipt. If the work ends early, the unearned part is to be refunded.

Paraphrased from the rule pages on 2026-11-06. We did not check later amendments or how the rules apply to your situation. A reviewer should confirm this section.

• Rule 1.5, Fees (Minnesota Revisor of Statutes)
• Rule 1.15, Safekeeping property (Minnesota Revisor of Statutes)
• OLPR: helpful tips for hiring a lawyer

Costs that may sit outside the lawyer's fee

Ask which of these apply and who pays them. The names and amounts differ by office and by court.

• Court filing fees, if a case is opened. Ask the court or the Minnesota Judicial Branch for the current schedule rather than relying on an estimate.
• Recording fees, if a deed or other document is filed with a county. One Twin Cities firm lists deed recording as extra in its published terms.
• Mileage or travel, if the lawyer comes to you.
• Copies, notary services and certified records.
• Later updates: whether changes after the work is done are covered, and at what rate.

A question to ask when two prices differ

Ask each office to put in writing what is included, what the first meeting costs, how many revisions are covered, and what happens if the work grows. Firms that publish tiers use their own labels, so a lower tier at one firm may not match a lower tier at another.