Most guidelines are drafted by or for large corporations. Frequently, corporate clients try to impose them on counsel after the attorney has agreed to the retention. Guidelines often include rules for staffing, billing, bill format, and specific requirements for items such as travel, review time, learning time, and disbursements. An attorney should know if a client intends to impose Billing Guidelines. The attorney can also draft Billing Guidelines, the terms of which can be negotiated as part of the initial agreement.
Guidelines can also reassure a client of the attorney's commitment to cost-consciousness.
Of course, the attorney must be willing and able to abide by the terms of the guidelines. A good case management budget forecasts the anticipated work necessary to resolve the matter. It should include who will perform the work, the time anticipated to complete each task, and the anticipated cost of each activity. However, the attorney should make clear to the client that a good case management budget is a fluid document that needs regular revision. The budget may go up or down as additional facts come to light.