Can these structures be combined?

Yes. Most engagements blend two — for example, a phased fixed fee for a governance build followed by a monthly subscription for ongoing support, or a portfolio fixed fee alongside capped-fee project work.

Are hourly rates still available?

Yes. Traditional hourly billing remains available for matters that genuinely cannot be scoped in advance, and we will say so plainly when that is the case.

What is not covered by a fixed or subscription fee?

Third-party costs — government and agency filing fees, foreign associate fees, court costs, expert fees, and travel — are passed through at cost and identified before they are incurred.

How do we agree on the right structure?

We start with a short scoping conversation about the work, the timeline, and the budget you need to plan around, then propose one or two structures in writing before any work begins.

Alternative Fee Structures | Venus AI Consulting

Flat Fee Per Matter

One agreed price for a defined deliverable.

Best for: Discrete, well-scoped work: a trademark application, a privacy policy refresh, a single vendor DPA, an AI use-case review.
How it works: We scope the matter, agree a fixed price and timeline in writing before work begins, and bill it in one or two installments. Out-of-scope requests are quoted separately rather than silently added.

Written scope and deliverable list
Fixed price agreed in advance
Defined revision rounds
Agency or filing fees billed at cost

Works best where the scope is stable. Matters that expand materially are re-scoped as a new flat fee or moved to another structure.

Monthly Advisory Subscription

A recurring monthly fee for ongoing access and a set volume of work.

Best for: Companies that need steady advisory support — contract review, product questions, privacy triage — without hiring in-house or watching the clock.
How it works: A fixed monthly fee covers an agreed scope: a defined number of matters or hours, response-time commitments, and standing availability for questions. Reviewed quarterly and adjusted as the volume shifts.

Named point of contact
Agreed response times
Defined monthly work allowance
Quarterly scope and usage review

Requires a minimum term (commonly three to six months) so both sides can calibrate volume. Large projects sit outside the subscription and are quoted separately.

Phased Fixed Fee

A larger program broken into separately priced stages.

Best for: Multi-stage programs: an AI governance framework build, a privacy program stand-up, an IP portfolio audit and strategy.
How it works: The engagement is divided into phases — assessment, design, implementation, rollout — each with its own price, deliverable, and go/no-go decision point. You approve each phase before it starts.

Per-phase pricing and deliverables
Decision point between phases
Freedom to pause or stop after any phase
Consolidated program roadmap

The first phase is often priced low because its purpose is to size the rest of the work accurately.

Capped Fee

Hourly billing with a ceiling you agree to in advance.

Best for: Work with real uncertainty — a negotiation, a regulatory inquiry, diligence support — where you still need budget certainty.
How it works: We bill against agreed hourly rates but never exceed the cap without your written approval. If the matter resolves quickly, you pay only for the time used.

Written cap agreed up front
Regular burn-rate reporting
Advance notice before approaching the cap
You keep the savings if the work runs short

Caps are set per matter or per phase, not open-ended across a relationship, so both sides stay aligned on scope.

Portfolio Fixed Fee

An annual fee to manage a defined IP or data portfolio.

Best for: Trademark and patent portfolios, data processing inventories, or vendor registers that need continuous maintenance.
How it works: An annual or quarterly fee covers docketing, renewals, watch reporting, and routine maintenance for an agreed portfolio size, with a stated rate for additions during the term.

Docketing and deadline management
Routine renewals and filings
Periodic portfolio reporting
Stated per-item rate for growth

Official, agency, and foreign associate fees are passed through at cost and are not part of the fixed fee.

Reduced Rate Plus Success Component

A lower base fee paired with a bonus tied to an agreed outcome.

Best for: Licensing and enforcement work, or transactions where a defined result — a signed license, a resolved dispute, a closed deal — is measurable.
How it works: You pay a discounted base fee during the work and an agreed success component when the defined milestone is met. Both the milestone and the amount are documented before the engagement starts.

Discounted base rate
Objectively defined success milestone
Success amount fixed in advance
Shared incentive on the result

Availability depends on the matter type and applicable professional conduct rules; not every matter can carry a contingent component.

Project Retainer with True-Up

A prepaid block of work reconciled at the end.

Best for: Teams that want to start immediately while the full scope is still forming — early-stage product launches, incident response readiness, diligence sprints.
How it works: You prepay an agreed retainer. Work is drawn against it at agreed rates, with a reconciliation at the close of the project: unused amounts roll forward or are refunded, and overages are approved in advance.

Immediate start on approved work
Transparent draw-down statements
Roll-forward or refund of unused funds
No overage without written approval

Best paired with a scoping call so the initial retainer is sized realistically rather than guessed.

These structures are illustrative examples of how we price work, not a fee schedule or an offer of representation. Every engagement is quoted individually in a written engagement letter after a scoping conversation, and third-party costs such as filing and agency fees are passed through at cost.

Predictable pricing, agreed before the work starts.