How it works

Instructing me takes one email. There is no client portal to register with, no account to open and no forms to complete before anybody looks at your problem. That is one of the practical advantages of instructing a solicitor directly rather than a firm.

The three steps

1. Email me. Send any relevant documents, or three or four lines describing the situation and your deadline. You do not need to prepare a brief.
2. I confirm the scope, the price and the timetable. In writing, usually the same working day, and if a short call would help I will offer one at no charge. I then invoice you, and the work starts once the invoice is paid. Larger pieces of work can be split into milestone payments if that suits you better.
3. I deliver on the agreed date. With a call or a follow-up exchange included, so you are not paying again to understand the advice.

What to put in the first email

You do not need to prepare a brief. The useful things are:

• Any relevant documents
• What the deal or the situation is, in two or three lines
• Your deadline, if you have one
• Anything you are particularly worried about

From that I can almost always tell you the fixed price and the delivery date straight away.

How I charge

Fixed fees, agreed in advance, on everything. No hourly rates, no six minute units and no invoice that arrives larger than expected.

Where a price is quoted as a range, I confirm the specific number in writing before starting, once I have seen any documents or heard the brief. It does not change afterwards unless you ask for something outside the agreed scope, in which case I quote that separately before doing it.

Payment is by invoice before the work starts. For larger pieces of work I am happy to agree milestone payments so that you pay in stages as the work is delivered.

Scope, and why it matters

Every engagement has a written scope. It is not there to catch you out, it is there so that a fixed fee can genuinely be fixed. If the scope changes, I quote the change before doing it, so the decision is always yours.

What I focus on

I am authorised to provide all legal services, and I concentrate on the documents a business runs on: drafting, reviewing, advising on and negotiating contracts and other commercial, corporate and employment documents. That is where twenty-five years of experience counts for most.

Employment work is for employers. I do not hold client money.

Questions I am often asked

How quickly can you start?

Usually within a day or two of the invoice being paid, and priority turnaround is available on most services. Tell me your deadline in the first email and I will confirm a delivery date that meets it.

Is the first conversation free?

Yes. Scoping the work and quoting the fee costs you nothing. If a short call would help at that stage, I will offer one and there is no charge for it.

Do we need to meet in person?

Almost never. Most work is done by email and telephone, which is faster for you and cheaper. Meetings are by appointment and where a face to face meeting genuinely helps, particularly for shareholder discussions where getting everybody in a room is the point, we arrange it at a location convenient for both of us.

What if I am not happy with the advice?

Tell me. The follow-up round exists partly for this. If I have misunderstood the situation I will fix it at no cost.

Are you insured?

Yes. I hold professional indemnity insurance with a limit of £1,000,000 for each claim, with defence costs in addition. As an SRA-regulated freelance solicitor I am required to hold insurance that is adequate and appropriate for the work I do, and I do.

You should know that this cover is not on the SRA's minimum terms and conditions, which apply to authorised firms. Alternative arrangements are in place instead. Details are available on request.

Why is there no contact form?

Because email is faster for both of us and you can attach any relevant documents to it. There is nothing a form would capture that a short email does not.

About me

I am Geoffrey Caesar. I have worked on commercial contracts since 2001, first in industry and then in private practice, so I have sat on both sides of the table: as the in-house lawyer who has to live with the contract, and as the external adviser who drafts it.

• Solicitor of England and Wales, admitted 2008. SRA ID 483394.
• Practising as an SRA-regulated freelance solicitor under regulation 10.2(b) of the SRA Authorisation of Individuals Regulations. Practice SRA number 666497.
• Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and authorised to provide all legal services, including reserved legal activities.
• Called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 2005.
• Working on commercial contracts since 2001, in-house and in private practice.
• Based in London, acting for businesses across England and Wales.
• Professional indemnity insurance in place with a limit of £1,000,000 for each claim, with defence costs in addition. Details on request.
• I do not hold client money.

Two things you should know about instructing a freelance solicitor rather than a law firm. My professional indemnity insurance is not on the SRA's minimum terms and conditions; alternative arrangements are in place instead, and I will give you the details on request. And you can still apply to the SRA Compensation Fund for losses caused by dishonesty or a failure to account for money. Everything else, including the Code of Conduct, the SRA Principles and the Legal Ombudsman, applies to me exactly as it applies to any other solicitor.

Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.