Common examples include the incorporation of a company or the sale of a house. Other services, due to their variable nature, are not amenable to a fixed fee. Examples include litigation and commercial transactions. In these cases, fees will vary depending on how complicated and lengthy the matter becomes. In these cases often fees are calculated primarily based on the time spent in respect of the services.
Lawyers have hourly rates which are applied to the time spent to arrive at a fee.
Although time is an important consideration, it is not exclusive. The object is to arrive at a reasonable fee that both the lawyer and the client accept as fair. The procedure was simple and the law of evidence somewhat relaxed. Over the years the Court has changed. Lawyers are more common.