Of course it is.
It's an option in any meeting as long as you a) have the balls and b) know that you're important enough to the meeting to get away with it. You need to tell people at the start you're going to do it, though.

EDIT - obviously, if you're meeting a client, condition b) probably doesn't apply, I appreciate. Although as a tactic to get business it might work better than you think...
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:38, 1 reply, 14 years ago)

the thing you are missing here
is that the meeting can be going brilliantly, in that we are making real progress to crack the case or to get the parties nearer each other and further away from the court. it's a successful meeting and must not be terminated.

doesn't stop it being fucking DULL, old buddy old pal. how would you like to spend 5 hours going through a 100 page terminal dilapidations report agreeing liability and quantum for each item of disrepair?
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:44, Reply)

If it takes more than an hour
there's been timewasting by all parties. Fuck 'em. I've got better things to do with my time.

Usually meetings take too long because too many people are present. In my answer above, in option b), if you aren't important enough to the meeting to get away with walking out, ask yourself what the fuck you're in the meeting for in the first place ;)
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:46, Reply)

Yes, but you are probably not being payed eleventy million an hour (plus disps, whatever they are) to be in the meeting
innit?
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:48, Reply)

Very good point.

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:49, Reply)

A cynic might suspect that the law can be necessarily convoluted and time consuming for just this reason
Meaning that many lawyers can spend much expensive time sorting it out for the rest of us.

Not that I would say such a thing of course, oh no.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:55, Reply)

It's not complicated
they spend 3 hours playing jenga and then 25 mins nailing down an agreement, a swift congratulatory line or two and then bill for 3.5 hours. Rounded up to 4, of course, cos you don't bill fractions of an hour. Job done.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:57, Reply)

Plus disbs
disbs are very important, probably.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:00, Reply)

they fucking well are!
imagine a 5 day trial. counsel's brief fee might be £25,000 plus a refresher fee of £8,000 per day.

that's a fairly hefty disb!
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:03, Reply)

I should have stuck with Law after A level
Only A I ever got in my academic career that was, true story.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:05, Reply)

A lawyer friend of a friend*
revealed that if she thinks about a case while she is, for example, showering in the morning, then she will tot this up as time spent on the case and charge accordingly. Not sure if this includes disbs though.

*No lawyer is a friend of mine
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:03, Reply)

On the basis of payment being transfer fees
I own several lawyers and a barrister, mind you.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:04, Reply)

yes
that is exactly it.

it's like you have a spycam following my every move.

which would not surprise me.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:01, Reply)

Oh come on.
Tell me you don't have the occasional game of scrabble just to add 20 minutes to the bill.

And, of course I do. There's no point going at stalking half-cocked now, is there?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:03, Reply)

was your use of the word "cock" deliberate there?
shame on you for lowering the tone.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:03, Reply)

Absolutely.
And with that, I'm off to scare some second years. toodle-pip.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:10, Reply)

my learned commie friend is correct
if i walk out within 45 mins, i can bill £332 plus VAT and disbursements.

if it lasts 5 hours, i can bill £2,075 plus VAT and disbs.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:55, Reply)

Ohhh.... Disbursements! Of course!
*is still none the wiser*
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 9:57, Reply)

it's expenses that aren't advice related
photocopying, counsel's fees, travel to court, taxis, food, legal process server's fees, court fees etc etc.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:02, Reply)

So do you charge for expenses as well as disbs?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:04, Reply)

She charges for fucking everything, you can bet on it.

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:08, Reply)

It's amazing
lawyers don't eat normally, apparently. That can be the only justifiable reason for food being an "expense"
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:09, Reply)

if you have a mediation
so you have a room for your clients, a room for the other side and their lawyers, and a room for the mediator, that is 3 x lunch. now we are a fancy city firm. we're not talking a pikey packet of prawn mayo. we're talking a proper catered buffet.

someone gotta pay for that shit!

obviously i don't charge for lunches if i am not actually in a meeting and spending money on the client...
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:12, Reply)

I know it's the way the game is played
but I'm fairly sure when my company lays on lunch for a client they don't actually charge them for it.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:13, Reply)

we don't always bill it
every case is different
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:23, Reply)

Only when the clients are penniless orphans, innit?

( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:40, Reply)

Anyone would think that one or both of us had been through a bitter divorce
or other costly legal proceeding based on the tone of this conversation.

Where as actually my divorce was amicable with not a lawyer in sight and the only time I've been in a court was as an observer.
( CQ Knows the truth, all of it., Thu 20 Oct 2011, 10:12, Reply)