Why hire a freelancer? Outsourcing work to a freelance attorney gives hiring attorneys greater flexibility in dealing with the natural ebbs and flows of litigation, without having to pay the salary and benefits of a full-time associate.
Further, a hiring attorney can actually make money by hiring a freelance attorney. The rules of professional conduct allow attorneys to bill their clients for outsourced legal services in one of two ways. One, as an expense. (See ABA Formal Ethics Opinion 00-420.) Or two, as a legal service. (Id.) If a hiring attorney bills the client for my freelancing services as a legal service, they are allowed to add a “reasonable” surcharge to my services. (See ABA Formal Opinions 08-451 and 00-420.) Such a fee arrangement is ethical under the California rules as long as the fee is not unconscionable (see California Rule of Professional Responsibility 4-200) and the hiring attorney satisfies the requirements of California Business and Profession code §§6147-6148 and 6068(m).
Services
I provide a variety of legal research and writing services, primarily for civil cases in federal and state court in California. I am available to draft any of the following documents:
- Pleadings
- Motions and oppositions
- Including motions to dismiss, demurrers, motions for summary judgment, discovery motions, motions to amend, motions in limine, etc.
- Internal legal research memoranda
- Discovery
- Special legal projects and litigation support