I typically mention to my clients that any major updates in the law office announcements or office policy are handled through the weekly e-newsletter, and this is one of those times.
Unfortunately, as our client list grows, the number of signings we schedule on Signing Days also grows. In our engagement agreements and work orders, we have been specifying that cancelled signings come with fees. These fees are not just for missed time with the attorney, but also include the considerable time our office assistant has to take to print, bind/staple, fill in witness names, and organize all of the documents for the signing. The average time for preparing a trust signing is between an hour and an hour and a half, depending on what other documents may be included.
In the past, we have been very forgiving about clients cancelling their signings without charges the day before, or even the day of, the signing because of emergencies. Unfortunately, we have begun to average 6-7 signings scheduled on a “Signing Day,” and then 2-3 people cancel their signing after the documents have already been printed. Because of these statistics, we have to begin enforcing fees for cancelled signings and change the timeframes.
Law Office Announcement
Please note the following changes:
- There is a $400 fee for missed appointments in general if you do not cancel an appointment with at least 48 hours notice.
- Specifically for signing meetings, there is an additional $400 charge if you do not let us know that you cannot make your signing, and this timeframe is by 5 p.m. at least two business days before the scheduled signing.
This means a Tuesday signing date needs notice by 5 p.m. on the Friday before to avoid us printing the documents, otherwise, there will be a total $800 charge.
While we do not like to charge clients for these missed appointments, having a large volume of signings on a single day means Jennifer needs to spend more than one entire day putting together all of the documents. The law office can no longer afford to waste 2-3 hours of her staff time and all of the materials for each Signing Day putting together documents that will not be signed and then have to do it all over again when the signing is rescheduled.
Please make note of this new policy, and we can hopefully have Jennifer’s time better spent assisting our clients with more productive items. Thanks for your understanding.