Pricing Models
eSolicitors supports 36 pricing models covering every type of legal matter. When you build a scope or quotation, you choose the model that best matches the work — the platform then structures milestones, payments, and client communications accordingly.
Pricing models are organised into three sections based on how payment flows through the platform.
Section 1 — Milestone-Native (Payment Through Platform)
These models work fully within the eSolicitors escrow and milestone system. The client pays upfront at scope acceptance; funds are released per milestone.
| Model | Best For | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Fee (Whole Matter) | Wills, conveyancing, immigration, simple corporate | One fixed price, one milestone, one payment. The fee does not change regardless of time spent. |
| Fixed Fee (Staged/Phased) | Property, corporate, immigration multi-step | Work is divided into phases. Each phase has a fixed price — client pays as each phase completes. |
| Capped Fee | Corporate advisory, commercial, banking | Lawyer charges for actual time up to an agreed maximum. Client may pay less than the cap. |
| Project-Based / Flat Fee | Regulatory compliance, tax, technology contracts | Flat price for a defined deliverable. Cost agreed upfront. |
| Transaction-Based Fee | Corporate M&A, property exchange, banking | Fee per transaction stage (signing, exchange, closing, completion). |
| Success / Completion Fee | Corporate, property, planning, regulatory | Standard milestones for ongoing work, plus a conditional milestone payable only on a defined outcome. |
| Disbursement + Professional Fee | Conveyancing, probate, immigration | Professional fee as milestones; disbursements (court fees, Land Registry, stamp duty) tracked separately via the disbursements tool. |
| Subscription / Ongoing Advisory | Regulatory retainers, employment advisories | Monthly or quarterly recurring milestone. Auto-creates next milestone on client approval. |
| Time + Materials | Commercial projects, technology disputes | Fee based on actual hours logged plus expenses. Platform tracks hours; client sees running total. |
| Budgeted Hourly | Advisory, drafting, negotiations | Estimated total hours at an agreed rate. Lawyer logs hours; client sees progress against budget. |
Section 2 — Platform-Adapted (Require Setup)
These models require additional configuration but still support escrow payments through the platform.
| Model | Best For | Key Config |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional Fee Agreement (No Win No Fee) | Personal injury, employment tribunals | Set success condition. Conditional milestone releases only if outcome achieved. |
| Damages-Based Agreement | Litigation, personal injury, employment | Percentage of damages recovered. Enter value percentage config when building scope. |
| Capped Conditional | Regulatory, planning appeals | Hybrid of capped fee and success condition. |
| Retainer (General) | Ongoing corporate counsel, employment | Set retainer amount and drawdown rules. Separate balance tracked per order. |
| Retainer (Specialist) | IP portfolios, regulatory monitoring | Specialist retainer with defined scope limits. |
| Hourly Rate (Standard) | Litigation, complex advisory | Log hours via the Hours Tracker. Client approves final invoice per milestone. |
| Hourly Rate (Blended) | Large firms with junior/senior teams | One blended rate for the matter. Hours logged across team. |
| Fixed + Hourly (Hybrid) | Commercial matters with variable scope | Fixed fee for defined stages plus hourly for additional or unforeseen work. |
| Instalment Plan | High-value matters where client cash flow matters | Total fee split into agreed instalments over time. Platform creates sub-milestones automatically. |
| Percentage of Transaction Value | Corporate M&A, property, commercial deals | Fee as percentage of final deal value. Enter value percentage and deal size at scope stage. |
| Early Settlement Discount | Debt recovery, commercial disputes | Standard fee if settled late; reduced fee if settled early. Conditional milestone structure. |
| Partial Contingency | Employment, litigation | Fixed base fee plus conditional element if successful. |
Section 3 — Scope-Only (External or Arranged Payment)
For matters where client and lawyer agree to handle payment outside the platform, or where the scope serves as a record rather than a payment mechanism.
For Section 3 matters, clients do not pay escrow through eSolicitors. The scope document is still generated and tracked on the platform for compliance and record-keeping purposes.
| Model | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| Legal Aid (UK) | Criminal defence, family, immigration for eligible clients |
| Pro Bono | Charity, public interest, access to justice matters |
| Insurance-Funded | After-the-event insurance, BTE insurance |
| Trade Union Funded | Employment matters for union members |
| Third-Party Funded | Litigation finance, investor-funded commercial claims |
| Deferred Fee | Agreed payment at a future date |
| In-Kind Payment | Equity, services, or non-cash consideration |
| Crown Prosecution / Government | Public body instructions |
| Court-Awarded Costs | Costs payable by the other side pending assessment |
| Indemnity Basis | Costs ordered on indemnity terms |
| Collective Action | Group litigation, class actions |
| Regulatory Fixed Tariff | Where a regulatory body sets the permitted fee |
| International Arbitration (LCIA/ICC) | Fees governed by arbitration rules |
| Multi-Party Agreement | Joint retainer, multiple-party instruction |
How to Choose a Pricing Model
The AI suggests one for you
After each AI Scoping Consultation, the platform analyses the transcript and suggests the most appropriate pricing model for the matter, with reasoning. You can accept the suggestion or override it.
Practice area defaults
Common defaults by area:
| Practice Area | Default Model |
|---|---|
| Property & Conveyancing | Fixed Fee (Staged) |
| Family Law | Fixed Fee (Whole) or Hourly Rate |
| Personal Injury | Conditional Fee Agreement |
| Employment | Conditional Fee or Hourly Rate |
| Criminal Defence | Fixed Fee (Whole) or Legal Aid |
| Business & Corporate | Fixed Fee (Staged) or Retainer |
| Wills & Estates | Fixed Fee (Whole) |
| Immigration | Fixed Fee (Staged) |
| Commercial Disputes | Hourly Rate or Conditional Fee |
Milestone requirements
- Section 1 and 2 models: Every milestone must have a due date or be marked as open-ended before the scope can be approved.
- Section 3 models: No due dates required (no escrow to manage).
- Conditional milestones: Must have a written success condition describing the outcome that triggers payment.
- Recurring milestones: Set recurrence period (monthly/quarterly/annually) and the platform auto-creates the next milestone on client approval.
Disbursements
For any pricing model, you can add disbursements (court fees, Land Registry fees, search fees, expert witness fees, stamp duty, counsel fees) as separate line items. Disbursements are charged directly to the client via Stripe — the funds never pass through eSolicitors. This is fully SRA-compliant.
See Orders and Milestones for the full disbursement workflow.
SRA Compliance
All Section 1 and 2 pricing models are structured to be compliant with SRA Transparency Rules and the Code of Conduct. The platform generates client-facing fee summaries with plain-English explanations of how the pricing model works.
The mandatory AI disclaimer appears on every scope document regardless of pricing model.
Questions about pricing models? Contact support@esolicitors.com