Outside general counsel means a law firm acting as your company's ongoing lawyer instead of being hired one problem at a time. It tends to make sense when you're signing contracts every month, have employees, carry receivables you chase, or keep running into the same legal questions. Parisi Law Firm's Outside General Counsel Program offers three published monthly plans, at $1,850, $3,175, and $4,500, with 6, 12, or 18 included attorney hours.
Large companies have in-house lawyers who review contracts before they're signed, answer employee questions before a termination, and catch deadlines before they pass. Small businesses usually don't, so legal work happens reactively: after the bad contract is signed, after the employee files a claim, after the customer stops paying. Outside general counsel is a way to get some of that preventive help without hiring a full-time attorney.
Signs you've outgrown emergency-only legal help
- You sign customer, vendor, or subcontract agreements most months, often on the other side's form.
- You have employees and questions about pay, discipline, handbooks, or terminations. See paying employees.
- You regularly chase past-due invoices. See invoices, late fees, and interest.
- You've been asked to sign a personal guaranty and weren't sure what it meant.
- Your operating agreement is missing, outdated, or doesn't reflect who owns what.
- You hesitate to call a lawyer because you're not sure what it will cost, so small issues grow.
- Deadlines like license renewals, annual registration, and contract renewals depend on someone remembering them.
Hourly, project, or ongoing counsel
Hourly billing works well for one-off matters. Project-based work suits a defined job like forming a company or buying a business. Ongoing counsel works best when the legal needs are steady and predictable: a set monthly fee covers a block of attorney time, so the business can ask questions early without watching the clock on every call.
The tradeoff is commitment. Ongoing arrangements typically have a minimum term and a defined scope, and some matters, like full litigation, fall outside them.
How Parisi Law Firm's program works
Parisi Law Firm's Outside General Counsel Program is a written subscription agreement with three published plans:
- Tier 1: $1,850 a month, 6 included attorney hours, response within one business day.
- Tier 2: $3,175 a month, 12 included hours, same-day response on requests received by 1:00 p.m.
- Tier 3: $4,500 a month, 18 included hours, same-business-day response and a direct line to the supervising attorney for time-sensitive matters.
- Every plan starts with a Legal Health Check, a review of your core documents, licenses, and practices with a written action list, and has a three-month initial term, then month to month.
- Work beyond the included hours is billed at the program's discounted subscriber rates, and some matters, such as lawsuits, are handled under a separate engagement.
Questions to ask any firm
- What exactly is included, and what isn't?
- How fast will you respond, and who will I be working with?
- What happens to unused hours, and how is extra work billed?
- What is the minimum term, and how do I change plans or cancel?
- Do you understand my industry? For trades and contractors, does the firm handle lien rights, pay-if-paid clauses, and payment bonds?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is outside general counsel?
A law firm acting as a business's ongoing lawyer, often for a monthly fee, instead of being hired one matter at a time. It's common for companies without an in-house attorney.
How much does outside general counsel cost?
It varies by firm. Parisi Law Firm publishes its plans: $1,850, $3,175, or $4,500 a month for 6, 12, or 18 included attorney hours, with a three-month initial term.
Does a monthly plan cover lawsuits?
Not usually. Parisi Law Firm's plans include evaluating a lawsuit and calendaring deadlines, but defending or bringing the lawsuit is a separate engagement.
Is outside general counsel worth it for a small business?
It tends to pay off when legal questions come up every month: contracts, employees, collections, and compliance. For a business with a legal question once a year, hourly help is usually enough.
This guide is general information about Georgia law as of October 30, 2026. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts. Talk to a lawyer about your situation before you rely on a deadline or rule described here.