There are many challenges in the Nigerian legal profession, but none is as puzzling—or as self-inflicted—as the refusal of many lawyers to charge appropriate professional fees. It’s almost as if some lawyers take pride in short-changing themselves and being the architects of their own financial misery.
Every time I try to understand this mindset, I remember my early days in practice and the excuses lawyers give to justify charging peanuts; “Oh, I have to eat,” or “If I don’t take it, another lawyer will.” These never made sense to me, and they never will.
Take my would have been first ‘big client,’ for example. He was a friend of a family member, so technically, he was “helping” a new wig. I was fresh out of law school, had not even gotten an interview—let alone a job offer—anywhere. So, I was as broke as a broke-ass.
The brief? Draft an agreement between him and some Chinese investors for his business. The transaction was sophisticated enough for the investors to send foreign representatives. Their lawyer back home would review the document and send it back for execution, and I was expected to coordinate the transaction locally. A proper international business deal, right? Yet, when it came to my fee, the man simply declared:
“I will pay you N50,000. Final offer.”
I refused.
I had barely started my career, but even then, I knew my worth wasn’t N50,000 for such a transaction. Later, he told me another lawyer did it for N20,000, perhaps hoping I’d regret my decision. But that wasn’t my business. I would rather wait for the right client than be undervalued. And to this day, no matter the situation, I charge what I know is fair even when my account balance is looking unfriendly.
Unfortunately, many Nigerian lawyers do not share this mindset. Some have proudly embraced the title of “Charge and Bail”, parading around magistrates’ courts, chasing cases for as little as N10,000 to N20,000 just to argue a bail application. Others prepare title documents for properties worth hundreds of millions and collect whatever the client is willing to offer.
And for what reason?
“If I don’t do it, another lawyer will.”
What a shame!
Stories abound of lawyers who collect N100,000 to prepare a Deed of Assignment for a property worth N500 million, believing they have struck a good deal because “at least, it’s something.”
But what if we all refused to work for such ridiculous fees? What if, for once, every lawyer collectively told such clients, “Sir, please look for another person” and they couldn’t find one? Wouldn’t that force a change in perception?
This isn’t just about individual lawyers struggling to earn a decent living. It affects the entire profession. Law firms, knowing that lawyers themselves have devalued their services, offer pitiful salaries. Very few firms pay their lawyers well or provide proper employment benefits. Forget perks, some firms can’t even afford to put a fan in the office, let alone offer health insurance.
The result?
Talented young lawyers either switch careers or move abroad.
We often hear about brain drain among doctors, but have we counted how many lawyers are leaving the profession or the country? Have you tried to employ lawyers recently?
To be fair, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has tried on this one. The Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023 was one such attempt, and NBA branch meetings across the country constantly address this issue.
The current NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, was at the forefront of this fight long before his election. He headed the Committee that championed better remuneration for lawyers and never missed an opportunity to emphasize its importance.
Yet, here we are.
His efforts and those of the NBA are undermined by the same lawyers they are trying to help. No matter how much the Bar pushes for better standards, what can you do for someone who refuses to help themselves?
At this point, it’s not an NBA problem. It’s a lawyer problem.
Until Nigerian lawyers start respecting their own worth, we will continue to see a profession where many of its members struggle unnecessarily. No policy reform can help lawyers who are determined to undercut themselves into financial hardship.
So, if you’re a lawyer reading this and feeling attacked, maybe it’s time to reflect.
The truth is uncomfortable, but necessary.
Charge what you’re worth. Respect your profession. Be better.