ABSTRACT
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a solicitor, in possession of the most competitive quotation, must not be in want of a client. In the post-recession, de-regulated and competitive market conditions of the mid-1990s, clients are demanding the keenest charges from the law firms which do their legal work. Where a firm tenders to a prospective client for a general retainer to do its legal work or only for one specific matter, then the legal expertise, size, quality accreditation and reputation of the firm seem to count for little to the client unless the charges quoted are the most competitive of all. Unless the price is right, a firm may not be given the chance to show what it can do for the client.
