Engagement

How to 'seal the deal' with interested clients and set up a project on the Marketplace platform.

Building & Sending Formal Proposals

If you connect with a prospective client on our platform and they would like to move forward with the engagement, the next step is for you to send the client a formal proposal using the platform proposal builder.

On Priori Marketplace, formal proposals are the final administrative step before beginning work, and offer you a chance to review and confirm how the project will be set up on our platform for purposes of billing and ongoing administration.

You can build and send a formal proposal by viewing the relevant client request on your account dashboard, selecting the "Build Proposal" option and filling out the information on each tab of the proposal builder.

While the proposal builder is fairly intuitive, the notes and video below may be useful when sending your first proposal.

Preparing a formal proposal

Project Description. You can update the project description on tab 1 of the Formal Proposal to reflect the arrangement you discussed with the client. For volume projects, please ensure the project description references any dedicated or guaranteed hours required for the engagement (e.g. 30 hours per week).

Engagement Letter / Contractor Agreement. You have the option of uploading an engagement letter or agreement that attaches to your formal proposal and that the client can view and e-sign on our platform. Alternatively, you can send the engagement letter or agreement by Message or directly by email –whichever is preferable for you and the client.

We don't offer a standard version engagement letter because they vary so much between attorneys, but some sample language that we have seen attorneys use to reflect the project being on the Priori platform is as follows:

Billing and invoicing will be via the Priori platform per Priori’s account with Client. The rate for legal services provided by Attorney comprises Attorney's hourly rate of $XXX/hour plus the administrative or management fee charged by Priori to Client for Client’s use of Priori's platform and services ($YYY/hour in total ("Rate")).

[Additional text for volume projects with guaranteed hours] The minimum amount paid by Client in connection with legal services provided by Attorney, other than any disbursements, shall be $XXXX/week (40 hours billed at the Rate) ("Minimum Amount"). Any additional hours over 40 hours per week will be billed at the Rate. Client shall pay a prorated Minimum Amount for any partial period (month or week) during the term of the engagement. For any applicable period (month or week) during the term, the Minimum Amount shall be reduced by the number of hours of any Client office closures and any sick, vacation or other leave taken by the Attorney in that period.

Rates. For the rate on tab 2 of the Formal Proposal, please select "Add New Rate" and enter $XXX/hr in the "Your Rate" field. The system will then calculate the $YYY total (your rate + the applicable Priori fee) payable by the client in the "Client Total" field.

Video. Prepare & Send Formal Proposal to Client

Open project

Once you have sent the proposal, the client will be notified and can view the proposal on their Priori account.

Screenshot. Client-side view of Formal Proposal (including Engagement Letter)

If the client accepts the proposal, you will be notified by email and provided with the client’s contact information to connect and start work.

From there, you and the client can work together directly to complete the project and you will use your Priori account to send invoices during the engagement. Each new open project will also appear as a card on your account dashboard. You can read more about billing and invoicing on the next page:

pageBilling & Rates

What if a client wants to re-hire me for a new project?

Per our network terms of use, any new projects for Priori clients must be opened and billed through the Priori platform.

For existing or repeat clients, you do not need to send a proposal to the client to start the engagement. You can instead directly open a new project from your account dashboard. This process does not require the client to accept your proposal to hire you for the new engagement.