Flat-Fee Legal Services
Most employment lawyers work one of two ways. They take cases on contingency, which means they only take the ones large enough to justify the risk, or they bill hourly, which means you cannot know what the work will cost until it is done.
Neither option serves the person who has a specific problem and needs it handled well. Someone with a severance agreement on the table and seven days to sign it does not need a lawsuit. They need a lawyer to read it and tell them what it actually says.
For work with a defined beginning and end, Massey & Duffy, PLLC quotes a flat fee before we start. Telling you the fee costs nothing. You decide from there, with the number in front of you.
What We Handle on a Flat-Fee Basis
The figures below are typical fees for straightforward matters. Your quote is confirmed in writing before any work begins, and it will not change after that. See "What Moves the Price" for the factors that push a matter above the typical range.
Severance Agreement Review: Typically $600
You have been offered a severance package and given a deadline to sign. We read the agreement and tell you what you are giving up, whether the amount is in a normal range for your situation, what the non-compete and non-disparagement clauses actually bind you to, and whether you have claims you would be releasing for free.
If your employer is offering severance, that is usually because they see risk. Knowing what that risk is before you sign is the entire value of the review.
EEOC and FCHR Charge Drafting: Typically $1,500
An administrative charge is a prerequisite to almost every federal discrimination lawsuit, and it is the document that frames your case for the next two years. Charges drafted from the agency's online intake form tend to be thin, and thin charges limit what you can litigate later.
We draft a detailed, evidence-backed charge, identify the right respondents, and make sure the claims and dates are stated in a way that preserves your options.
Non-Compete and Restrictive Covenant Analysis: Typically $600
Florida enforces non-competes more readily than most states. Whether yours is enforceable is a fact question, and it is one worth answering before you resign rather than after you are sued.
We review the agreement, assess enforceability under section 542.335, and tell you what your realistic exposure looks like if you take the new job.
Demand Letters: Typically $900
A letter from counsel that lays out the facts, the law, and the exposure will sometimes resolve a matter that would otherwise take two years in court. It does not always work. When it does, it is the cheapest resolution available.
Case Assessment/Consultations: Typically $450
If you are not sure whether you have a claim at all, this is where to start. We review your documents, walk through the timeline, tell you which statutes are in play, identify your deadlines, and give you a straight answer about whether the matter is worth pursuing.
This is a substantive legal analysis, not a sales call, which is why it is a paid service.
What Moves the Price
A matter may cost more than the typical fee; by way of example, and without limitation, when it involves any of the following:
Multiple agreements, amendments, or equity documents rather than a single contract
A long employment history or a large volume of records to review
More than one potential respondent or employer entity
Claims against a public employer, which carry additional notice requirements and immunity analysis
Overlapping claims that cross several statutes
An expedited deadline
We do not quote a number and then revise it once we are into the work.
What the Fee Includes and What It Does Not
The fees above cover our legal work on the specific service described. They do not include costs and expenses, which are separate and are your responsibility. Depending on the matter, those can include filing fees, service of process, court reporter and deposition transcript charges, mediation fees, expert witness fees, records retrieval, and travel.
We will tell you what costs are likely in your matter before you engage us. For most flat-fee services on this page, costs are minimal or none.
When Flat Fees Are Not the Right Structure
Litigation does not normally fit a flat fee. Once a case is filed, the amount of work is set by the other side's conduct, not by ours, and any lawyer who quotes you a fixed price for a lawsuit is either guessing or padding.
Contested employment cases are handled on a contingency or hybrid basis. Under a contingency arrangement, our fee is a percentage of what we recover, and you owe no attorney's fee if there is no recovery. Costs are handled separately and are addressed in the written fee agreement.
We will tell you which structure fits your matter when we quote it.
Why We Do It This Way
Three reasons:
Fee uncertainty stops people from getting advice they need. The person who does not call a lawyer about a severance agreement, and signs it, usually does so because they assume the call will be expensive and open-ended.
Hourly billing rewards the wrong things. A flat fee means the incentive is to do the work well and finish it.
And a fixed scope is honest about what is being purchased. A severance review is a discrete task with a discrete deliverable. Pricing it that way is more accurate than pretending it is the opening move in litigation.
How It Works
1. Tell us what you need. Send a short description of your situation and the document you are looking at. There is no charge for this step, however this does not include an initial consultation.
2. We quote the fee and the scope. In writing, at no cost, before you commit to anything.
3. You decide. No engagement and no payment until you have signed a written fee agreement.
4. We do the work. On the timeline we quoted, at the price we quoted.
Everything is handled by phone, email, and video, so where you are in Florida does not affect whether we can help you.
Disclaimer and Reservation of Rights
We reserve the right to reject any and all reqeusts for services; this is at our sole discretion and may be for any reason or no reason at all. Moroevoer, the information on this page is general and is not legal advice for your situation. Fees stated are typical fees for the services described and do not include costs or expenses, which are the client's responsibility. Your fee is quoted in writing before any work begins. Contacting Massey & Duffy, PLLC by phone, text, email, or through this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship begins only when we and you sign a written agreement. Results depend on the specific facts and law of each case, and prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any other matter