Lawyers generally get paid by the hour and respond to requests. There is no reason not to ask for a cumulative fee amount not to be exceeded without prior notice. Lawyers will initially respond as requested but may want to do more (many times with good reason). This places a burden on the client to handle the relationship in a thoughtful and structured way.
There are certain issues on which you will need legal guidance. You may not know what all these issues are and you will have to receive objective advice on what requires a legal review (some business forms are truly standard and do not need review, but others are not standard and are dangerous). Nonetheless, you should control the relationship.
It will be less expensive for you if your lawyer is familiar with your business and the concerns it generates. Rejoice if a lawyer you are dealing with wants to know more about your business without charging you for that time. The more you interact with your lawyer, the less time (fees) you will spend on giving the lawyer facts about your business, but as with any other cost the doctrine of diminishing marginal utility applies to more and more frequent levels of interaction.
The lawyer needs to identify to you the information you need to know to make your business decision according to your values and business acumen. Lawyers are paid to advise, but beware of the lawyer who gives business advice not legal advice. Lawyers advising you should not be telling you what decision to make, but informing you of the consequences that will occur depending on your decision. Therefore, it is misleading and unwise to ask a lawyer for specific legal advice and then ask for general business advice.
It is reasonable for you to expect that the lawyer is familiar with the area of law in which you have an inquiry and will not be charging you for research that is essentially basic information about the topic that an experienced lawyer should know. You should have a written fee agreement with the lawyer. You should understand the fees and costs associated with what you are asking before the service is performed, and if there is a change the lawyer should give you notice of that change immediately. You should expect the lawyer to be accessible by responding to your communications quickly and by having time to discuss important matters with you. You should be billed promptly and accurately for services with no surprises. Such a billing deserves immediate attention and prompt payment.
There is nothing wrong with dealing with more than one lawyer, each with expertise in different areas. This will help you create a thoughtful structure for receiving legal advice and understand what you like and do not like about the various relationships.
Finally and redundantly, it is incumbent upon you to effectively manage your relationships with legal advisors.
