Flat rate fees are a guarantee that the fee for certain legal work will be limited to a certain fee amount. Flat rates are often used to charge for drafting wills and trusts. Also, perhaps, incorporating or other transactional work. Though, flat rates are used in areas of litigation also. Criminal law lawyers frequently use flat rates. “X” dollars to the pretrial hearing, then “Y” dollars to trial. Or “Z” dollars to do a motion.   It should be noted that some litigators mix hourly and flat rates together. For example, “X” dollars per hour, but a minimum of “Y” Dollars for attending a hearing.

Thus, you should feel free to explore the concept of a flat rate with a lawyer if it sounds to your liking. Though the lawyer will probably decline if its civil litigation. There are just too many variables to accurately predict how much such a case will totally cost   Likewise, with family law. Uncontested divorces, however, are frequently done at flat rates, especially cases of, what in California are called, Summary Dissolutions of Marriage.

I pretty much follow the norms stated above regarding flat rate fees. Though, I do little transactional work.