Alternative Billing Strategies for Lawyers

The New York Times published an article today regarding the billable hour.  The article questions whether there is a trend towards eliminating the billable hour for lawyers.  The present economy appears to be a threat to lawyers billing by the hour when businesses are looking for ways to shore up budgets and insert some certainty into their business.  Are lawyers in Utah being pressured to find alternative ways to be compensated?  Some alternative billing strategies identified include fixed fee arrangements, fixed fee plus a successful outcome bonus, and lower hourly fees with an early resolution bonus.  What compensation alternatives to the billable hour have you used (other than a straight contingency fee)?

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