The majority of law firms use the “6-minute unit” to charge their clients to complete particular tasks.  However the benefits to clients of using this system have since disappeared:

“With no gauge for intangibles such as productivity, creativity, knowledge or technological advancements, the billable hours model is a counterintuitive measure of value.”

The much-publicised criticisms of this existing model include:

1. Rewarding inefficiency and dilatory practices (the more time they spend the more they are paid;
2. Uncertainty and “bill-shock”; and
3. Discouraging innovation and time-efficient solutions to clients’ needs.

The authority on the future of the future of the legal profession has said:

“No longer will the law be meted out occasionally on the basis of billing by the hour.

One solution to this problem is offering consumers of legal services a genuine alternative to time-billing based on the outcomes the law firm achieves rather than the time they spend.  Pragma is willing to offer this model of pricing to all of its clients: we use up-to-date technology that allows us to send our clients proposals that specify prices according to outcomes rather than time spent.