28/09/2026
WHY WONâT YOU PAY A LAWYER HIS FEES?
I remember those restless days in the university and the sleepless nightsâburning candles, skipping parties and sit-outs, and avoiding friends just to prevent distractions.
You would study relentlessly. The rain would beat you, the sun would scorch you, and at the end of the semester, you might still barely meet your desired grades. Sometimes, your spirit would be completely broken.
One day, I went into my Deanâs office to look for my missing examination script. While I was there, my Criminal Law lecturer walked in and asked what I was doing.
After I explained, he asked me, âWhat did you get in my course?â
I replied, âSir, I had a C.â
I expected him to be disappointed, but instead, he smiled and told the Dean, âHeâs not a dull student.â
I was shocked.
That was when I realised: lecturers actually know what they are doing!
Then came the dreaded Law School.
Those five years in the university suddenly seemed like child's play compared to that one year in Law School. The tension was constant. The pressure was enormous. Sometimes, 24 hours in a day did not seem enough.
While lectures were going on, you could suddenly hear a loud soundâa student had collapsed.
A stretcher would be brought. The student would be rushed to the clinic. Lectures would be suspended. Everyone would become silent, whispering prayers:
âGod, please, don't let us lose another soul.â
Then suddenly, the report would come from the doctor:
âHe/She is recovering.â
Everyone would breathe again, and lectures would continue.
And sometimes, this happened almost daily.
Eventually, you pass the Bar examinations, go through another rigorous process, and finally get called to the Bar.
Then a client looks at you and says, âYour fee is too much. Can't you reduce it?â
You want to ask:
âReduce what? The price of the certificate?â đ
In Law School, we were taught that even when dealing with our parents who sacrificed to put us through school, we should still value our professional services appropriately.
So when you become a client, why should your lawyer's professional fee suddenly become negotiable beyond reason?
As a practising lawyer, I have seen shege! đ
Clients want to negotiate my 10% property professional fee, while house rents are running into millions, food prices are increasing, transportation is increasing, and virtually everything has become more expensive.
But somehow, the lawyer's fee must come down.
Lawyers are professionals. Behind every practising lawyer are years of education, examinations, professional training, sacrifices, sleepless nights, financial commitments and continuous learning.
I strongly believe that legal practitioners' remuneration should be reviewed appropriately to reflect the realities of today's economy and the value of professional legal services.
When you engage a lawyer, remember that you are not merely paying for the few minutes you see him in his office.
You are paying for the years behind the lawyer.
So, pleaseâŚ
Pay your lawyer his fees.
After all, âthe labourer is worthy of his wages.â
But tell me honestly: why do people negotiate a lawyer's fee as if legal practice is charity work?
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Barr Alex-The law man
