Businesses operating in Pakistan
Companies that need contracts reviewed, employment questions answered and regulatory deadlines met without commissioning a separate engagement each time.
Most legal cost is incurred late. A contract signed without review, a notice left unanswered, a deadline missed — each of these is inexpensive to prevent and expensive to repair.
A retainer changes the economics of that. For an agreed fee over an agreed period, the firm acts as your standing counsel: you ask before you sign rather than after, and the person answering already knows your business, your documents and your history.
It also changes the speed. There is no engagement to negotiate when something urgent arises, and no time spent bringing new counsel up to the facts. For clients abroad, that difference in response time is frequently the difference in outcome.
What a retainer includes
- Legal advice by telephone and email throughout the retainer period, without per-query billing
- Review of contracts, notices and correspondence within an agreed turnaround
- Drafting of standard agreements and letters within the agreed scope
- Monitoring of statutory and regulatory deadlines relevant to your affairs
- An annual review of your standing documentation and exposure
- Priority scheduling for urgent matters
- Preferential rates for contentious work falling outside the retainer
What sits outside it
We are explicit about the boundary, because a retainer that quietly excludes what you actually needed is worse than none:
- Litigation and arbitration, which are quoted separately as they arise
- Court fees, stamp duty, registration charges and other disbursements
- Transactional work of a scale outside the agreed scope, such as a major acquisition
How a retainer is agreed
We begin with a conversation about your affairs and what you realistically need. From that we propose a written scope and fee. Nothing commences until you have both in front of you and have agreed them.
If a retainer is not the right arrangement for you — and for clients with only occasional needs it often is not — we will say so and quote for the work itself instead.
Common Questions
Retainers: frequently asked
What is a legal retainer?
A standing arrangement under which the firm acts as your counsel for an agreed period and an agreed fee, covering a defined scope of advisory work. It gives you continuous access to advice without negotiating a new engagement each time a question arises.
How is a retainer priced?
On the scope agreed. We assess the likely volume and nature of the work, propose a monthly or annual fee in writing, and set out precisely what is included and what is not. There are no hidden charges within the agreed scope.
Does a retainer cover litigation?
Not by default. Contentious work is quoted separately when it arises, because its cost depends entirely on the forum and the course the matter takes. Retainer clients are quoted at preferential rates and receive priority scheduling.
Can an overseas client hold a retainer?
Yes, and it is a common arrangement for families with property or an estate in Pakistan. The retainer is combined with a power of attorney where the firm needs authority to act, and all communication is by email and scheduled calls.
What is the minimum term?
Retainers are normally agreed annually, with a review at the end of each term. Shorter arrangements are possible where the need is defined — for instance during a transaction or a period of regulatory change.
Who It Suits
Retainers work best where the need is continuing.
Overseas Pakistanis with assets at home
Families with property, tenancies or an estate in Pakistan who want someone watching those interests continuously rather than reacting once a problem is already advanced.
Foreign companies entering the market
Overseas businesses that need dependable local counsel on call while they establish and operate here, without maintaining an in-house legal function.
Institutions with recurring work
Banks, developers and trading concerns with a steady flow of documentation and recovery matters that benefits from counsel who already knows the standard forms.
Enquiries
Counsel on standing instructions.
An initial discussion carries no obligation, and we will tell you plainly whether a retainer is worth it in your case.