Tradition is for holidays, not legal services
You'll never see a Harmon Kennedy Law commercial with a video of a suited-up lawyer sitting behind a big mahogany desk in front of an office library, pointing at a law book. Know why? We don't use any of that stuff. Our clients don't want to see a fancy suit to trust us and we don't need 1000 page books to do great work.
We invest in tech -- lots of it -- to help us be quick, lean, and up to date in the worlds of business and law. That means you can schedule a meeting immediately online, we can meet with you through video chat, and you can fill out your intake forms, sign an engagement agreement, and pay online. No phone calls back and forth. No photocopies. No waiting 2 weeks for a meeting. No sitting in a waiting room waiting to be seen. No driving to the office to drop off a check then waiting a week until it clears.
Law firms are in one of the only industries that hasn't really changed in over half a century and it shows. We never really fit that mold, and our clients like it that way.
But enough about us... what do YOU need?
Sometimes hiring a lawyer is just a transaction. Like dining at a drive-thru on vacation -- you're just there out of necessity, you just need one thing done, then you go your separate ways.
If you're DIY person and just need some basic, quick template documents --
our sister company, Dotted Line Legal
will be online soon!
Sometimes hiring lawyer is the last thing on Earth you want to do. You've got a problem, it's out of your control, and like having an infected tooth pulled, you just need someone to deal with that problem after it's caused its damage.
If you already have a problem and need damage control --
visit our sister company,
Bridge Conflict Resolutions Group, Inc.,
to learn about ways you can resolve your problem without going to court.
Sometimes hiring a lawyer is like selecting a business partner. A partner you can trust to understand your company, its industry, its people, and its operations to partner with you in identifying areas of risk, developing your legal strategy, planning your interactions with your customers, vendors, employees, and the public, all with the goal of avoiding common problems altogether.
If you're looking for a business partner who gets you and your company,
you're in the right place.
How is Harmon Kennedy Law Different?
Proactive
Proactive
"Wish I had known that a year ago," say lots of business owners after they're sued. We work hard to make sure our clients aren't one of them.
"Issues" turn into problems.
We work with you before you've got those problems. Traditional firms are great at stepping in to tear into the problems after you're already feeling the pain.
We'd prefer to minimize problems before you've got them.
Approachable
Ever feel that your lawyer's ego gets in the way of a productive conversation?
Ever heard a lawyer say they're a "bulldog" like it's a good thing?
If we're going to work together, you need to feel comfortable, respected, and appreciated.
We want you to ask questions -- even basic ones -- without judgment.
We want you to get a clear answer on pricing without feeling "cheap" for asking.
You want to trust that your attorney values you individually, not by your net worth or the size of your bill.
That's Client Service 101, but not super common to the legal industry. We're trying to fix that.
Transparent
Can you think of ANY OTHER product or service that you agree to pay for, but don't know how much you've agreed to pay until the bill arrives?
Hard to come up with something other than attorneys' fees, isn't it? We call it "sticker shock," and it's no fun.
Did you know that at the modest attorney billing rate of $250.00 an hour, and a typical quarter-of-an-hour (15 minute billing cycle) it costs you $62.50 for the attorney to read an e-mail? Some attorneys would even bill another $62.50 (1 billing increment) to respond to your e-mail. That's $62.50 - $125.00 for your quick question, depending on the law firm's billing practices. Then, for a 10-minute follow-up phone call there would probably be another $62.50. So one email plus a follow-up phone call could cost you anywhere between $125 - $187.50. How much is that question worth to you? Do you really want to ask yourself "Is this a $187 question" every time you have a question?
Didn't think so. We set flat fees whenever possible (and have become really creative in finding ways to do this) to help you avoid this uncertainty and take the pressure off of you in deciding whether it's worth it to ask your question. Most attorneys HATE discussing price, and most clients HATE that they don't know what it will cost. We're trying to fix that... Check out our Pricing page for lots of Flat-Fee services and our House Kounsel monthly subscription plan, where you know up front what you'll pay, and what you'll get.
Human
Human
Ever tried to ask a legal question to a chatbot?
There are LOTS of legal services that let you download templates of various legal documents for the DIYers out there -- we're excited for our sister platform, Dotted Line Legal, to launch in the coming months.
But these "alternative legal services" come with restrictions. Basically, you get a downloaded template, sometimes pre-filled with the info you've provided, and sometimes blank -- and that's it. You might have access to some generalized blog posts about whatever topic you've just downloaded, but unless you know that you've selected the right document for your needs, input the right info, and added all necessary provisions yourself that weren't included in the template, you'll need to accept the risk of the document failing when you need it the most.
There's no person you can explain your needs to, and no way to let the computer know of exactly what you want to do and what specifics apply to your situation -- so these documents fail a lot, then a human lawyer has to sort through the fallout.
A lot of these problems are totally avoidable if a human is involved in the first place. So unless you're super confident in what you need and what it needs to say, a human touch can go a long way.
Virtual
Virtual
Interesting that "virtual" is listed next to "human," right?
Seems like these are at opposite ends of the spectrum ... you can either talk to a human, or talk to a computer. At HK Law, you talk with a human through a computer with no driving, no parking, no winding hallways, etc.
This is how we're able to deliver legal services at modest prices -- no marble floors, no long-term leases, no property insurance bills, no lost time commuting... just efficient, face-to-face interactions via video conference (or phone if you prefer), that still gets your business where you need to be, without sitting in a stuffy waiting room or around a conference table for half your day.
Of course, we do invest in physical meeting room space for those that prefer it. For an extra fee to cover the commute and meeting room, we can meet in person at our "office" in Ambridge, Canonsburg, or (coming soon) Erie. We also do your estate planning document signings at these locations for no extra charge.
Non Traditional
Non Traditional
A traditional Law Firm has one of the few business models that looks about the same now as it did in the 1970s.
Let that sink in... 50 years and still damn near the same way of doing things.
Look, we're all for, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," but how many people do you know that just rave about how awesome the American legal system is?
Anyone...?
Nope. So we're trying some things. Some of it may not be the next best thing ever, but it beats standing still (for us).
For example, we're willing to try lots of creative fee arrangements, because we really, really dislike the "billable hour" business model. We're willing to use new software and technologies to make our work more efficient, your bill lower, and your experience smoother. We're willing to challenge the suit-and-tie model of client communication and behave like real humans because it makes our clients feel more at ease working with us.
So far, these changes are working.
What's in store next? How can we deliver better for you? Tell us your thoughts!
Seriously, click the button and tell us. Nobody knows what the client wants better than the client.
BUSINESS EDUCATION RESOURCES
Coming Soon!
Sign up for our e-mail list to be the first to hear about all sorts of FREE Resources!
- Webcasts
- Online Business Law Courses for Owners & Managers
- DIY Document Packages
- Collaborations with business consultants (accounting firms, social media specialists, and others who share our philosophy of education and "raising the tide" for small business communities!)