# Cheap alternative to severance lawyer

> Counteroffer · Answers · severance
> Source: https://trycounteroffer.com/answers/cheap-severance-lawyer-alternative


**Short answer:** A contract review service like Counteroffer delivers a structured severance analysis for $199 in 24 hours, compared to $400-$1,500 per hour and 1-2 week turnaround for an employment attorney. For ordinary layoff situations within the standard severance framework, a review service captures most of the negotiable value at a small fraction of the cost. Reserve attorney engagement for situations involving discrimination, large equity, M&A, or active litigation.

## Why severance lawyers are expensive

Employment attorneys typically charge $400-$1,500/hour. A standard severance review engagement involves:

- 1-2 hours of initial consultation
- 2-3 hours of agreement review and analysis
- 1-2 hours of drafting counter language and email
- 1-2 hours of negotiation back-and-forth with HR
- Additional time for any follow-up

Total: 6-10 hours at $400-$1,500/hour = $2,400-$15,000.

For a Director-level severance with $200K-$500K total package value, the math sometimes works: $5K of attorney fees identifying $30K of negotiable value is positive ROI.

For a typical IC or manager separation with $50K-$200K total package value, attorney fees can equal or exceed the additional value captured. The math gets harder.

## What contract review services do

A contract review service like Counteroffer is a structured, software-augmented version of the most repeatable parts of severance review:

- Reading the agreement against a curated rubric
- Identifying negotiable items
- Benchmarking against market data
- Citing required carve-outs and state law
- Drafting counter language
- Recommending negotiation strategy

The work is done by AI trained on attorney-drafted contracts, audited by humans before delivery, and delivered in a fixed format. This is the 80-90% of severance review value that can be productized.

What's NOT included (and not appropriate for service review):

- Direct negotiation on your behalf
- Attorney-client privilege
- Litigation strategy
- Discrimination claim evaluation
- Court appearances

## Cost comparison

| Approach | Cost | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counteroffer review | $199 | 24 hours | Standard situations |
| Counteroffer + prep call | $498 | 24 hours + 30 min call | Standard situations needing coaching |
| Attorney consultation | $400-1500/hour, typically 1-2 hours | 1-2 weeks | Quick second opinion |
| Full attorney engagement | $3K-$15K typical | 2-4 weeks | Complex situations |
| Litigation attorney with contingency | % of recovery | Months | Strong discrimination cases |

## When the cheap option is the right option

Cases where a review service is the right choice:

- Standard severance with cash + healthcare + equity items
- Total package $50K-$500K
- No active legal disputes
- You'll execute your own negotiation
- You need fast turnaround
- You want a defined fee, not hourly billing

Cases where you should pay for an attorney:

- Active or imminent litigation
- Discrimination, retaliation, or harassment concerns
- Whistleblower claims
- Equity packages over $1M expected value
- M&A or change-of-control scenarios
- 280G excise tax exposure
- Section 16 officer of public company

## The hybrid approach

For maximum cost effectiveness:

1. Get a contract review service first ($199)
2. Review the analysis
3. Schedule 1 hour with an employment attorney ($400-$1500) only if the service flags items needing legal advice
4. Use the service's analysis and recommendations to make the attorney consultation more efficient

This captures most of the attorney value at a small fraction of the cost. Total: $600-$2K for situations that might otherwise cost $5K-$15K.

## What to do next

If you want the fast, structured contract analysis that captures most of attorney-level review value for $199, see [Severance Review](https://trycounteroffer.com/severance). If your situation has complications that need attorney expertise, we'll flag that in the review and refer you to vetted employment attorneys in your state.

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## Related answers
- [Should I see a lawyer or use a service for severance review?](https://trycounteroffer.com/answers/severance-lawyer-vs-review-service)
- [Severance review service - what it is and how it works](https://trycounteroffer.com/answers/severance-review-service)
- [Counteroffer vs employment lawyer](https://trycounteroffer.com/answers/counteroffer-vs-employment-lawyer)

## Get your contract reviewed
If you want a delivered review of your specific document with cited authority and counter language, see https://trycounteroffer.com/severance.

Last updated: Sun May 31 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

_Counteroffer is a contract analysis service, not a law firm. This page is informational, not legal advice._