A fractional general counsel typically costs $3,000 to $15,000 a month on retainer, or $250 to $500 an hour. Most retainers buy a set number of hours, often 10 to 40 a month, with an hourly rate for overflow. Compared with a law firm, where experienced lawyers often bill above $500 an hour and large-firm partners well above that, the saving comes from both a lower rate and from a lawyer who already knows the business. The table below this guide shows fees where the listed providers publish them; many do not.
Typical levels
- 10 hours a month: roughly $3,000 to $5,000. Template contracts, review of non-standard deals, employment questions and a monthly call.
- 20 to 30 hours a month: roughly $6,000 to $10,000. Active contract negotiation with larger customers, employment matters, corporate records and management of outside counsel.
- 30 to 40 hours a month or more: roughly $10,000 to $15,000. High contract volume, regulated industries, international operations or an active financing.
What drives the price
Contract volume drives most of it. A company signing five customer agreements a month on its own paper needs far fewer hours than one negotiating enterprise contracts every week. Regulation adds work: healthcare, financial services, privacy-heavy software and government contracting carry their own legal programs. International operations need advice across jurisdictions, often with local counsel. Seniority matters too. A former GC of a large company charges more than a lawyer moving in-house for the first time.
Financings and transactions
Large transactions usually involve a law firm as well. For a priced equity round, company-side legal costs at seed or Series A commonly run in the tens of thousands of dollars, depending on complexity; a SAFE round costs much less. A fractional GC can lower that cost by preparing the records, cap table and data room in advance and by managing the firm. Some fractional GCs handle smaller financings themselves. Agree in advance whether a financing is inside the retainer, billed hourly or handed to a firm.
Equity
Some fractional GCs accept equity at startups in place of part of the cash fee. Bar ethics rules allow lawyers to take equity for legal services in many jurisdictions, subject to conditions such as fair terms, informed client consent and attention to conflicts of interest. Expect the lawyer to put the arrangement in writing and to recommend that you get independent advice on it.
Retainers and trust accounts
How the money is held can differ from other fractional roles. Under bar rules in many places, fees paid in advance for work not yet done may need to be held in a client trust account until earned. A monthly fee for a defined availability can be structured differently. The lawyer should explain which applies.
What month one costs in time
Plan on 4 to 8 hours of the CEO’s time in month one: a walkthrough of the business and its main risks, access to contracts, corporate records and the cap table, and a list of open legal issues. Whoever manages contracts or HR should expect a session too.
How to read a quote
Check the hours included and the overflow rate, what counts as out of scope (litigation, financings, acquisitions), which jurisdictions the lawyer is admitted in, whether malpractice insurance is in place, how outside counsel is chosen and billed, and the term. Month-to-month with a three-month minimum is common.