For years, complex legal work such as bet-the-company litigation, M&A, and regulatory investigations was considered too unpredictable to scope, price, or manage outside of hourly billing. There were too many variables, too many unknowns, and too much risk.

But that thinking is changing.

Predictability isn’t just something finance wants anymore; it’s the baseline. CFOs require it. Boards expect it. And Legal Ops teams are showing that even the most complex matters can be scoped, structured, and aligned with business goals without sacrificing quality or outcomes.

So what’s behind the shift?

First, legal isn’t operating in a vacuum anymore. Every other function, including HR, IT, supply chain, and marketing, is held to standards for forecasting and accountability. Legal no longer gets a pass. Legal Ops is stepping up with better vendor management, more robust data, and smarter use of alternative fee models. And AI is finally starting to deliver real efficiency in areas that used to be considered off-limits to automation. Pricing models need to reflect that.

The departments making the most progress aren’t trying to turn every matter into a flat fee. They’re scoping more tightly, breaking matters into phases, and applying a mix of fixed fees, phased pricing, and outcome-based incentives.

Take litigation: Some teams use fixed fees for individual motions or depositions, phased pricing for trial prep, and a success fee tied to the result.

M&A work can follow a similar structure: fixed fees for documentation, term sheets, and negotiations, with incentives tied to closing.

These aren’t just cost-control strategies. They create transparency, trust, and accountability on both sides of the table. Legal teams gain more control over budgets and reduce administrative burden. Law firms gain clarity on scope and expectations. Both benefit when incentives are aligned.

Of course, not every matter fits neatly into a model. But that doesn’t mean legal departments shouldn’t push for structure. They should be asking better questions:

• How is this work scoped, and is it detailed enough to reduce ambiguity?
• Where can we fix fees, and where does flexibility make sense?
• How are efficiencies, including AI, reflected in your pricing?
• What incentives are built in for successful outcomes?

These conversations don’t need to be adversarial. In fact, firms that are open to them often become the strongest partners. Here’s what legal departments are asking today:

• What assumptions are baked into this scope, and how will changes be handled?
• What have you done with similar matters to manage costs and improve predictability?
• Where have you used fixed fees or other structures before, and what worked?
• How are your internal teams thinking about AI in this kind of work, and how is that reflected in pricing?
• How are incentives aligned between your team and ours?

The goal isn’t to squeeze firms on price. The goal is to build accountability and transparency into the process from the start. Legal teams that do that are seeing better results: more accurate forecasts, fewer surprises, and stronger relationships.

Because high-stakes legal work doesn’t just demand expertise. It demands clarity, structure, and alignment. That’s what leads to better outcomes and stronger partnerships.

Stephanie Corey is the co-founder and CEO of UpLevel Ops. She also serves as the Global Chair of LINK x L Suite—a premier community of General Counsel and Legal Operations leaders united to transform the legal industry through collaboration, innovation, and strategic insight. Stephanie co-founded LINK (Legal Innovators Network), a legal ops organization exclusively for experienced in-house professionals, and previously founded the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), where she served as an executive board member. She is a recognized leader in legal operations and a frequent advisor to corporate legal departments on scaling operational excellence. Please feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn.

The post Pricing Strategy For Complex Legal Work: A Legal Ops Approach To Predictability appeared first on Above the Law.