§ 01 — Pricing philosophy

Pay for the plan, not the clock.

Hourly billing belongs to a slower time. We set fees based on the value delivered, agree on the scope in advance, and use modern tools to handle routine tasks.

Same work, two prices. Hourly climbs, while a flat fee doesn’t.

How to read this: your cost rises going up, the work piles on going right.

Hourly Flat fee time / work performed → your cost →

Hourly: The meter keeps running. The final cost is discovered later.

Flat Fee: One price for a defined scope, known before you commit.

§ 02 — The honest version

You shouldn’t pay more because it took longer.

It's not that hourly lawyers are villains in loafers. It's that the model ties your bill to inefficiency, a strange feature to incentivize.

Billing by the minute

  • Priced by time spent, not the problem solved
  • The longer it takes, the more you pay
  • Itemized invoices that arrive after the work
  • You quietly help fund the learning curve
  • The meter runs during “quick questions”

Flat fees

  • Priced around value and a defined scope
  • Efficiency lowers your cost instead of raising it
  • One agreed number, known before we start
  • AI handles the repetitive drafting and research
  • Ask questions without watching a timer
// Modern legal work approach

Priced for impact, built for efficiency.

Secure digital intake, document automation, and adaptive-technology-assisted research and drafting now handle at the speed of artificial intelligence.

When the routine gets faster, that time savings should reach the client as a clearer scope and a fixed price.

One firm rule: AI-assisted is not AI-decided. A licensed Missouri attorney reviews every document, exercises the judgment, and remains responsible for your matter. The tools speed up the typing; they don't replace the thinking.

// Straight talk

Where a flat fee fits, and where it doesn’t.

Trust is built by being honest about the edges. Not every matter can be a fixed price, and we'll tell you when it can't.

Flat fee

Definable, document-driven work

  • FINRA disclosure expungement (Rule 2080)
Contingency fee

Investor recovery & personal injury

  • FINRA arbitration & investor recovery matters
  • Personal injury claims (auto, premises, wrongful death)
  • Flat 33% of any recovery, no upfront cost
  • You pay nothing unless we recover on your behalf
Three closed document folios laid side by side on a pale stone surface in raking daylight, a dark green pen beside them
A defined scope, a fixed number. The work is decided before the price is, which is the only way a flat fee can be honest.
§ 03 — Published starting points

Simple, transparent pricing you can plan around.

A representative example, not a quote. It shows how a defined scope maps to a fixed price; your number depends on the facts after a short consultation.

FINRA · Expungement

FINRA disclosure expungement

Flat fee starting at $7,500Confirmed after a scoping call

  • Rule 2080 eligibility review
  • Drafting and filing the expungement request
  • Hearing preparation, even for unopposed matters
  • FINRA’s own filing/hearing fees are separate, not included
Request scoping →

Note: This is a starting price for the most common scope. Your final flat fee is confirmed after a consultation, once the facts are clear. FINRA disclosure expungement is quoted as a flat fee after a short scoping call, and FINRA’s own filing/hearing fees are separate. Quoted fees exclude court, government, and third-party costs, and no fee guarantees a particular outcome. See the full fee disclaimer below.

// The other pricing model

Contingency fees: still not billed by the hour.

FINRA arbitration and personal injury cases don’t fit a neat, fixed-scope format the way a disclosure expungement does. So, rather than charging a flat fee, they’re handled on contingency. Same idea, different structure. You never pay a retainer or for the hours worked.

33% contingency

A flat one-third of any amount recovered, for qualifying FINRA arbitration and personal injury matters.

Nothing upfront

No upfront attorney fees or costs. You pay nothing unless we recover on your behalf.

In writing, before we start

The percentage and how expenses are handled are confirmed in a written contingency fee agreement before representation begins.

No recovery is guaranteed. No fee arrangement or statement on this page guarantees a particular result or outcome.

// Pricing bands

Where most matters land.

Broad bands, published on purpose. If your quote falls outside a band, you’ll hear why before any work begins.

  • FINRA disclosure expungementflat fee, starting at $7,500
  • FINRA arbitration & investor recovery33% contingency, no upfront cost
  • Personal injury representation33% contingency, no upfront cost

FINRA disclosure expungement is scoped before a flat fee is quoted, and contested or unusual facts can move a quote above the band. FINRA arbitration and personal injury matters are contingency fee, with the percentage confirmed in writing before representation begins.

A finished set of documents sliding out of a brown leather portfolio on an oak desk, a green and gold pen alongside
What you actually receive. Drafted documents, a plain-English risk summary, and actionable steps on what to do next.
// Matter bundles

Clients we see every week.

If this sounds like you, your scope is already half-defined, and the consultation gets straight to the details.

FINRA · Investor recovery

Investor who suspects broker or advisor misconduct

33% contingencyNo upfront cost · No recovery, no fee

  • Preliminary case review and conflicts screening
  • Record and claim assessment
  • Statement of Claim, discovery, and hearing preparation when arbitration applies
Start with this bundle →

Contingency arrangements are confirmed as a percentage in a written contingency fee agreement before representation begins. No recovery is guaranteed.

// How it works

From first question to fixed quote.

“What do I need?”
“Will this be expensive?”
“Is this the right document?”
1
Intake
2
Fit check
3
Scope
4
Quote

No meter running.

§ 04 — FAQ

Reasonable questions, plainly answered.

We pause and talk before doing new work. You approve any revised scope and fee in advance. No silent meter.

No. It means predictable. You're paying a transparent price for judgment, strategy, and documents that fit your situation.

For research, drafting support, and intake, but never final decisions. A licensed attorney reviews and is responsible for the work, and your confidential information is handled securely.

The practice is remote-first. FINRA arbitration matters are evaluated for investors in Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana. Personal injury representation is Missouri-based. Secure intake and video consultations are available either way.

For qualifying FINRA arbitration and personal injury matters, the fee is a flat 33% of any amount recovered, with no upfront attorney fees or costs. The exact terms are confirmed in a written contingency fee agreement before representation begins.

// Fee disclaimer

About our flat-fee quotes

Flat-fee quotes are provided only after the scope of your matter is defined during a consultation and any conflicts are cleared. A quote applies to the specific services described in your written engagement agreement. Not every matter can be handled on a flat-fee basis, and some are better suited to a different arrangement, and we will tell you when that is the case.

FINRA arbitration and personal injury matters are handled on a contingency fee basis instead: a flat 33% of any amount recovered, with no upfront attorney fees or costs. The exact percentage and how expenses are handled are set out in a written contingency fee agreement before representation begins.

Quoted fees and contingency percentages do not include court filing fees, government charges, taxes, or costs paid to third parties or outside vendors, which are billed or deducted from any recovery separately. No fee arrangement or statement on this page guarantees a particular result or outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.

This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. ClearScope Counsel, LLC

// Next step

Get a number before you commit.

Request a flat-fee quote or book a consultation. No attorney-client relationship forms until conflicts are cleared and an engagement agreement is signed.

Free consultation Get a quote