Our Philosophy and Approach to FeesAt Higgins Attorneys, litigation is a business project, not an open-ended experiment
In the traditional legal model, the billable hour creates a perverse incentive: the longer a dispute drags out, the more the firm earns. We reject that entirely.
At our firm, we view litigation through the lens of commerce and ROI. Every legal action has a cost-to-risk ratio. If spending ten rand in legal fees to recover five rand of value makes no business sense, we will tell you before you spend a cent. Our legal opinion service is designed exactly with this purpose in mind.
How we do things differently:
Phase-Based Project Management: We break litigation down into predictable milestones (e.g., pleadings, discovery, mediation, trial preparation) so you always know what phase you are paying for and what value it unlocks.
Commercial Alignment: Our pricing and strategy are tied to your personal and operational realities, cash flow, and enterprise value.
Radical Transparency: No surprise invoices at month-end. You receive clear expectations upfront about the financial trajectory of your matter, allowing you to make informed, executive decisions.
Let's see if we "click"
To deliver exceptional results, we must be radically honest about who we serve best. Our firm is not built for everyone. While we strive to provide exceptional service, our practice relies on mutual trust, shared expectations, and adherence to professional standards. To ensure we can deliver the highest quality representation to our clients, we generally avoid taking on matters involving:
- Unrealistic Expectations: Clients who seek outcomes unaligned with legal realities or expect guaranteed results.
- Resistance to Objective Advice: Clients looking merely for confirmation of their views rather than candid, independent legal counsel.
- Unorganized Documentation: Clients who provide unsorted information and expect counsel to interpret disorganized records without prior context.
- Disregard for Boundaries: Clients who demand constant immediate availability outside established professional channels.
- A "Win-at-All-Costs" Approach: Matters driven solely by emotion, principle, or a refusal to consider pragmatic settlement strategies.
- Requests to Bypass Standards: Demands to bend legal or ethical rules, or to compromise professional integrity.
- The "Google Lawyer" Reliance on Automated/Generic Sources: Clients who substitute qualified legal advice with unverified internet or AI-generated legal theories.
- Micromanagement of Legal Strategy: Clients attempting to dictate technical tactics rather than trusting counsel to manage the strategy.
- Inaccessibility or Disengagement: Periods of extended unresponsiveness or failure to cooperate on crucial case developments.
- General Hostility Toward the System: Deep mistrust of the legal profession or the administration of justice.
- A Pattern of Dismissals: A repeated history of abruptly terminating prior counsel.
- Open Ended Meter: Expecting constant attention because you have the money.
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