Why Two Lawyers Often Cost Less Than One

Because you fund one path, not both.

Published: 18 November 2025 | Reviewed: 2 December 2025

The Structural Cost Trap

Most people focus on finding a “good lawyer”.

Few ever see the real cost risk:
when the same lawyer benefits from running both settlement and trial preparation,
the financial incentives point in two different directions.

You end up funding work that prepares for trial,
even when the goal is to settle early.

Not because anyone acts improperly,
but because the blended role rewards more work, not less,
making early savings hard to achieve and even harder to measure.

The issue is incentive alignment, not personality.

When incentives blend, costs rise.

The Structural Fix

Clean Law earns a result-bonus only when
early settlement avoids the trial costs you would otherwise face.

If no trial costs are saved, no bonus applies.
Delay harms us, not you.

Your budget becomes the boundary:
your matter funds only the path it actually takes, never both at the end.

This is the alignment that creates structural cost safety.

Aligned Incentives Between
You, Your Courtroom Lawyer, and Clean Law

You want a clear, efficient pathway.
The structure is built to deliver exactly that.

Your courtroom lawyer is paid only for genuine trial work.
Clean Law succeeds only when early settlement avoids those trial costs.

No one earns more from delay.
No one is rewarded for extra steps.
The incentives point in one direction, early, efficient resolution.

Here, costs track outcomes, not activity.

When Structure Makes Ethics Visible

When financial incentives remove any benefit from delay or unnecessary trial preparation,
ethics become visible in the outcome, not in anyone’s assurances.

Two lawyers often cost less than one
because you fund only the work path your matter takes.

The result-bonus makes that structure safe, transparent, and aligned with your interests.

By Nicky Wang
Principal Solicitor
Legal Liaison Ltd (trading as Clean Law)
Prepared in accordance with public-interest governance,
annual Law Society trust-account audits, and ACNC-reported standards.

Disclaimer: This page is intended to provide general information only and is not legal advice. The contents may not reflect the most current legal developments and do not take into account your individual circumstances. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this information without obtaining legal advice tailored to your situation.