Is it because of the “absolute number” that outrages some people? And where is the line? CZK 1,500 per hour, or CZK 10,000 per hour?

You will come across both on the market, by the way. Each amount hides something different – from the obvious components such as quality of service, expertise and the team’s experience, to the invisible but unavoidable and no less important ones, such as offices, back office or insurance. Not to mention profit.

For me, though, it is about something else entirely. By its very nature, lack of time is a lawyer’s problem No. 1. The right price level therefore remains the only means of optimizing how that time is used. It is logical that everyone will prefer a senior lawyer even for a matter that does not require their expertise if they cost the same as a junior. Once you differentiate rates by role or seniority, the thinking and approach change. It has happened to me many times that, with a blended rate, someone wanted me and no one else to handle even a fairly trivial matter. And why not… for the same price. As soon as we structured our rates by role, the same client asked me himself not to work on the matter – after all, it was just a small thing.

That is ultimately what this is about. Distributing work within the team properly. Valuing individuals’ time properly and adapting to the situation and the need. Without, of course, creating any risk for the client in terms of quality. In the end, it is healthy for clients, who get optimized services, for seniors, who don’t lose their minds under the workload, and also for juniors, who would otherwise never grow into the experienced seniors we need…

Vít Kučera, Managing Partner