How We Charge Helping Families Regain Their Strength

How Much Do Our Services Cost in Jackson, MS

Customer-Friendly Pricing in Madison & Rankin Counties

Chinn & Associates has implemented unique, customer-friendly pricing for our Jackson divorce services. The basic feature of our pricing is that we work carefully with our clients to arrive at a customized price for specific services. Before representation begins, our clients know the amount they will owe and the maximum amount of resources they will have to dedicate to the matter. This method of pricing is relatively unique to divorce practice and is designed to foster extreme customer satisfaction.

With a divorce or other family law issue, you are already dealing with a number of difficulties. Paying your attorney should not be one of these. By understanding exactly what you will owe before we start handling your case, you will not be blindsided by unforeseen legal costs. This is just one of the ways Jackson divorce attorney Mark Chinn helps during these trying times.

Traditional Fees

Most lawyers charge for their services by the hour. What this typically means is that the lawyers keep track of the time they spend on the case and then send the client a bill for the service, based upon the time spent. Lawyers keep track of their time in intervals, such as quarter hour or tenth of an hour. When they bill the client, they typically put the date the work was completed, a description of the work, and a statement of the time. A bill might look like this:

Telephone conference with client for 0.25 minutes
Receive and review correspondence from opposing counsel and telephone call with client for 0.50 minutes
Receive and review interrogatories, correspondence to client; prepare Motion to compel for 1.50 hours

Total Time:
2.25 X $300 per hour=$675

As you can see, the cost can quickly add up. While Chinn & Associates has employed this method in the past, we believe a better method of pricing exists in the form of what we call “Value Pricing.”

The Change to Value Pricing

Chinn & Associates made the decision to move away from hourly billing because charging by the hour focuses the lawyers’ thoughts on time and procedure instead of mission and results. After nearly thirty years of experience with clients with legal problems, we believe that clients care about how they are served and about the results that are being achieved rather than what amount of time was spent.

As a matter of fact, many people, both in and outside of the legal profession, believe that the billable hour method creates incentives for delay, unnecessary procedure, and increased expense. Chinn & Associates eschews such a method and believes the value pricing method is the method of the future from a client satisfaction standpoint.

Our value pricing method offers such benefits as:

Customized pricing. We work with each client individually to develop a clear mission for their legal representation. Once we have the mission in mind, we can determine what price point will work to achieve the client’s goals. We work closely with each client to create a customized price we believe will grant us the best opportunity at achieving a successful outcome.
Certainty. Value pricing eliminates the uncertainty of hourly billing, as we will customize a set price for each client based on his or her unique case. The client knows what to expect and is not surprised by additional fees.
Clients are not mislead. With hourly billing, it is virtually impossible to say what a case may end up costing a client when all is said and done. Our value pricing protects our clients from being misled by initial estimates that an attorney may offer based on hourly billing practices.
Mission-oriented representation. Our prices are customized with results, not time, in mind. Pricing caps and set prices create a strong incentive to efficiently and expeditiously achieve each client’s objectives.
The cap. We take it a step further and place a cap on the total cost of our services in our contract with our clients. You will not receive a bill for unforeseen services. You will not be charged more than the contract states.

The American Bar Association & Other Leaders Support “Value Pricing”

Work on the topic of value pricing began with the ABA Law Practice Management Section Task Force on Alternative Billing Methods in 1989. This Task Force published Beyond the Billable Hour: An Anthology of Alternative Billing Methods.

In 2002, the ABA Commission on Billable Hours published its report. The report contained a Preface by ABA President Robert E. Hirshon, which discussed the many reasons for abandoning the billable hour. In the first sentence of his Preface, he opines that “many of the legal professions contemporary woes intersect at the billable hour.” He writes that the billable hour is responsible for a lack of balance in lawyers’ lives, negative impacts on lawyers’ families, loss of professional mentoring, decrease in lawyer service, less collegiality, and a loss of focus on efficiency.

No less an authority than the Honorable Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States, weighed in on the side of dumping the billable hour, writing in the Foreword of the report, in part: “The villain of the piece is what some call the ‘Treadmill’–continuous push to increase billable hours…The Committee’s technical task, then, …is difficult. Yet I believe it is a challenge that cannot be declined, lest we abandon the very values that led many of us to choose this honorable profession. ”

There have been three important ABA publications on alternative billing:

Beyond the Billable Hour: An Anthology of Alternative Billing Methods,
Winning Alternatives to the Billable Hour
Billing Innovations: New Win-Win Ways to End Hourly Billing.

In Winning Alternatives to the Billable Hour, ABA President Hirshon writes, “The billable hour, such as it is, encourages too many of the wrong principles and suppresses too many of the right ones.” Foreword, viii. In Billing Innovations, author Richard Reed minces no words about the demise of the billable hour: “[I]t is probable that straight hourly billing (billing by hours spent without limit and without regard for the benefit conferred) will virtually disappear in the years ahead….The time has come to say goodbye to time as the sole criterion for measuring the value of legal services.”

Lately, a new force has entered the picture: CPA and author Ron Baker who has authored several books on the subject, including:

Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value
Professional’s Guide to Value Pricing
The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers and Other Professional Services

In his first work, Value Pricing, Baker traces the history of hourly billing to the 1940’s when large Wall Street firms adopted time sheets. Baker argues emphatically for the demise of the billable hour and presents a lengthy “how to guide” to practitioners on how to convert from hourly billing to what he calls “Value Pricing.” Baker states that customers do not buy efforts - they buy results.

Find out more about our Jackson family law services by calling (601) 202-5594.

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Founding Attorney Mark Chinn

Founder of Chinn & Associates, Mark A. Chinn is a seasoned Jackson, Mississippi family law attorney who has dedicated his career to helping clients through some of the most difficult times in their lives. He is dedicated to using his talent and experience to empower his clients to lead the lives they want to lead.

Our Testimonials

See How We've Helped Families Regain Their Strength

“Their expertise and knowledge made all the difference”
Mark and his team did a great job handling my tough situation. Their expertise and knowledge made all the difference and I am so thankful for each member of this law firm.

Mark
“Excellent Attorney and Legal Services”
Mr. Chinn and staff are very professional and knowledgeable. I was informed throughout the entire divorce process and I'm very pleased. My lawyer showed a deep understanding of my personal situation and demonstrated empathy throughout the entire process. This helped me tremendously to get through this difficult situation. I highly recommend this law firm.

Shandler
“Thank you, Counsel, for being great at your job”
Trial day 2 today. Looking forward to work (which I rarely say in chancery court) but working with three of the best who make a beautiful, awesome, clean record. My reporter friends all get it. Makes work a pleasure. Thank you, Counsel, for being great at your job and making mine great. (Mark Chinn, Esq.)

Unsolicited Post by a Court Reporter
“Excellent Family Law Attorney!”
I am beyond grateful for the exceptional service provided by Mark. From our initial consultation, it was clear that he had a deep understanding of family law and a genuine concern for my well-being. Mark was always available to answer my questions, provided clear and concise advice, and worked to ensure the best possible outcome for my case. His strategic approach and attention to detail were truly impressive, and his support helped me stay calm and focused during a very challenging time. I highly recommend Mark Chinn to anyone seeking a knowledgeable and compassionate divorce attorney.

Anonymous
“Janeah you are unstoppable!!!!”
Thank you guys and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. The strategy and pressure worked. And the amount of work from you guys was above and beyond. Janeah you are unstoppable!!!! I’m more than happy with the agreement also. The constant contact with you guys and timely responses back to my questions really helped when things would get nasty. Helped me to stay smart and strategic instead of panic. But thanks again for everything

Joel D.
“Chinn & Associates will be my first choice”
When I found myself needing a divorce lawyer, my first and only call was to Chinn & Associates. From the onset, Mark told me not to worry, he had my back. It is pretty much impossible for me to not worry, but Mark was correct, he had my back. He and his staff were always prepared and kept me informed of what I needed to know. Janeah was an angel with a big sword, especially during the mediation process, working passionately to get me the best possible result. Mark and Janeah guided me through one of the most difficult and uncomfortable periods of my life, and I will be forever grateful for their hard work and support. While I hope I never need their services again, if I do find myself in this situation again Chinn & Associates will be my first choice for representation.

Abbey M.
“I definitely recommend Chinn & Associates”
Great customer service and very kind. They also worked quickly to take care of my issue. I definitely recommend Chinn & Associates.

Anonymous
“He was a steady voice of reason during an emotional time”
I highly recommend Mark. He brings decades of experience and highly credible counsel. He was a steady voice of reason during an emotional time for my family. He stays close to his clients and is quick to respond. I always knew he was "on it." He partnered with my family to the very end of what turned out to be a longer than expected process. The outcome was worth the wait. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Anonymous

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