09/14/2026
YOUR CONSULTATION HAS VALUE.
Estate Planning and Elder Law consultations are rarely simple “meet-and-greet” sessions. A meaningful consultation may require preparation, review of existing documents, issue spotting, careful questioning, explanation of options, and the application of years of experience to a family’s particular circumstances.
That is professional work—and attorneys should generally charge for it.
Charging an appropriate consultation fee:
• Communicates that the meeting will be substantive, not merely a sales presentation.
• Compensates the attorney for preparation, meeting time, and follow-up.
• Encourages prospective clients to take the appointment seriously.
• Reduces no-shows and helps screen for clients who value the attorney’s expertise.
• Allows the attorney to focus on giving useful advice instead of rushing toward an engagement.
There can be legitimate exceptions. A firm may intentionally offer a free consultation for a narrowly defined service, referral source, marketing campaign, or client population. But “free” should be a calculated business decision—not an unexamined habit.
I have tried out free consultations. My CFO kept very careful track of the time-invested and the opportunity cost of that time spent with less viable clients. For Solkoff Legal, P.A. and most Estate Planning and Elder Law firms, charging a consultation fee, even a token one, will prove more profitable to you and the client.
And the calculation cannot stop at gross fees generated.
The firm should measure the actual net profit resulting from those consultations after accounting for attorney time, staff time, preparation, follow-up, marketing expense, overhead, conversion rate, matters declined, no-shows, and the opportunity cost of work displaced from the calendar.
A full calendar is not necessarily a profitable calendar.
Know what your consultation costs. Know what it produces. Then make an intentional decision.
Charge for the time. Deliver the value.
Elder Law College: Build a Better Practice. Build a Better Life.
— Scott Solkoff
