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The End of Billable Hourly Legal Fees for Small Businesses – Scott Reib

Gordon Henry • Mar 25, 2021

Today's Guest

Most small business owners don’t want to call a lawyer because they assume it’s going to be expensive. So they hold off hoping nothing bad will happen. But then a bad thing does happen. And by then it’s too late. They have no choice but to call the lawyer and the hourly fees start coming. Scott Reib, the founder of Reiblaw, set out to attack this problem and make hiring a lawyer less scary – and less expensive. So he created a new way of hiring a lawyer that represents the end of the billable hour for small businesses. Listen as Scott tells of how he came to discover this new way of hiring a lawyer was needed in the small business community – and how he has implemented it so far.

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Episode Summary

Business owners often think of law firms as emergency rooms, which means they only call a law firm when circumstances are bad. Instead, small business owners should be thinking of law firms as primary care physicians. However, there is an issue with how most law firms bill clients for their services. Traditionally you pay a lawyer by the hour, which creates a conflict of interest because now they control both the number of hours and the hourly rate. It's that conflict of interest that causes people to be hesitant to call a law firm. 


About 5 years after opening my practice, I began to notice my repeat clients would only call when there was a major issue versus working with me in advance to prevent the problems. I decided to hire a business coach to help me work out the details of a crazy new idea. I wanted to create a practice where clients could call me with their problems on demand and I could help solve them in advance. So we created The Access Plan to help small business owners get answers to their legal questions without having to pay out of pocket each time. 


The Access Plan is a subscription model where clients get unlimited access to me and my team for all their legal questions. You can also schedule working sessions with us if there is a particular issue you want to dig deeper into. Plus, you get a 30-minute check-in call each month. From the small business owner standpoint, 12 times a year they get to meet with their legal team to help anticipate and prevent problems. When was the last time you heard of a small business owner, that wasn’t in a crisis, meeting with their legal team regularly? 


The idea behind shatter proofing your business came from the shatterproof glass in car windshields. Our business is the vehicle to our future and we want to be prepared for the rocks life throws at us. So we created the 5 strategies to shatterproof your business, the first strategy we recommend is to assemble a team of key advisors. This team should include people that can advise you on legal issues, taxes, insurance, banking, and business strategies. You can download the free eBook guide with all the strategies on our website reiblaw.com/mainstreet


Resources Shared

Jay Schwedelson | Winning on Main Street Small Business Podcast
By Jay Schwedelson 04 Jan, 2024
Today, we’re sharing some big news and some bitter-sweet news. After hosting this podcast for over four years and 200+ episodes, we’re moving on and passing the baton to a new host who will be launching a new show. Thanks to all our loyal listeners and those who contributed to the show. Wishing you all success, and we invite you to check out Jay’s new show, Small Business Quick Wins.
Malcolm Peace | Winning On Main Street Small Business Podcast
By Malcolm Peace 28 Dec, 2023
Malcolm Peace is the founder and president of Tsetserra Growth Partners. He’s a native of Austin, TX. He is passionate about assisting family-owned small businesses in building enduring legacies. He specifically works with acquiring and running blue-collar industrial businesses in Texas and working with small business owners to drive long-term growth and profitability. He takes pride in helping family-owned small businesses sustain a lasting legacy. Succession planning is an integral part of his efforts. As a result, he focuses on building businesses up instead of tearing out people and processes.
Matt Murray | Winning on Main Street Small Business Podcast
By Matt Murray 21 Dec, 2023
Matt Murray is the Founder and CEO of Evolution Mechanical, Inc., which serves the commercial and industrial HVAC/R market. He is also the founder and CEO of Blue Collar King Coaching & Consulting, through which he guides owners and would-be owners of service-based businesses in the blue-collar trades to succeed personally and professionally. As such, Matt’s expertise goes far beyond “just” his technical expertise in the HVAC/R field. Matt is also an expert in leadership, business development, business systems & strategy, operations, strategic planning, sales, and more. Matt runs his life and businesses based on strong core values and is passionate about helping others live happy, successful, and fulfilling lives.
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