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REGIONAL WRAP-UP LAWyERS L WITH CLIENTS awyers need to talk money upfront with clients to ensure they understand the options and costs of legal action, says a Vancouver commercial lawyer who is adopting a business-like model in her new firm. "It's not doing anyone any good where there is a surprise as you present the bill. The lawyer has trouble collecting and the client's personal finances are Over 500 personal injury law firms across Canada entrust BridgePoint with their clients' pre-settlement financing requirements, as well as their own disbursement funding needs. We value our reputation as a provider of responsible, affordable financial solutions that protect your clients' right to full and fair access to justice. Visit bpfin.com to learn about our innovative financing solutions and how we can help you, and your clients. bpfin.com ntitled-5 1 1 888 800 4966 16 N O VEMBER / D ECEMBER 2011 www. CANADIAN Lawyermag.com 11-10-20 3:48 PM Lisa Ridgedale left the safety of a big firm to strike out on her own. sitting down with the client and draw- ing up what she calls a "road map" that defines objectives and different paths achieving the goal with the associated costs. Developing the road map may only take an hour in a simple case, but in more complex cases, it can take days of research — for which she charges. The road map or business plan for the litigation or negotiations, with only one in 10 of her cases going to court, pro- vides individuals, and especially com- panies, the opportunity to discuss the different proposals and associated costs. "And, what is the likelihood of success," she says. thrown off," says Lisa Ridgedale, who declined the offer of a partnership with a Vancouver firm in order to start her own commercial and securities litiga- tion shop Ridgedale Law Corp. She says she was inspired by her corporate business clients to start her own law firm in September, but she also wanted to move the practice forward using a more business-like process. "It's not a surprise to anyone in business," she says of her model, which advocates NEED T O T A LK M O NE y