We work quickly and efficiently for your benefit

Fee rate

Do you know what your expertise and experience are worth? Even if you think you do, you may be underselling your expertise. Are you comfortable asking the client for more than is offered? We know what your market rate is and our job is to make sure you get it; we’re experts at securing you the correct rate. Your work has value to the client and we make sure you are rewarded appropriately.

Contract negotiation

We have enormous experience and expertise in negotiating legal contracts, both in reviewing contracts sent by clients or drafting our own. Negotiation is a two-way street but our role is to ensure that before you start a project the correct terms and conditions are in place. We react quickly when you ask us to represent you and we’ll keep you fully informed of the contract process.

Liability

Protecting against a claim can be prohibitively expensive and ongoing (the statute of limitation on negligence claims is six years). Riber Consultants will always be the contracting party and you’ll be undertaking the work for us, protecting you from a legal claim. We limit liability in every contract and ensure that measures are taken to mitigate risk. The liability rests with us, not with you; ensuring that you can undertake the work in the full knowledge that you are protected.

Invoicing

We invoice the client for the fees according to the agreement in the contract, usually once the work is complete or against agreed milestones. Once we’ve been paid by the client, we will make payment to you and we aim to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible. We are not interested in holding things up; we want you to get paid quickly so that you’ll work through us again.

Payment

We pay you personally; by using us you aren’t forced to give all or some of the income to your institution or department. We work on the principle that you’ve earned the money and it should be yours to keep. We make payment to you gross; we don’t insist you receive payment via payroll. By working through us you get to keep more of the money.

Our fee

Some institutions charge up to 80% of the fee that you earn, and others impose restrictions on what you can do with the money and how much you can receive personally. We work for you and believe that it’s your money and you should keep the bulk of it. For our services we only charge a fee of 12.5% on the fee income in each contract, you keep all personal expenses.

You benefit financially

Because we pay you gross and charge a competitive fee for our services you may benefit more financially by working through us than your institution. If you are usually paid via payroll then by working through us you will save up to 13.8% in Employer’s National Insurance and up to 12% in Employee National Insurance. We pay you gross, not through payroll, and you pay tax via your self-assessment return.

Working through us should be more financially rewarding than using similar services.

What should you do next?

Be aware of your institution’s policies on undertaking academic consultancy work, especially the regulations around private work and any restrictions that there may be. If you get approached by or find a client to work with, talk to us first; before you’ve agreed fee rates or terms with them. Contact us below and we’ll guide you through the process, making sure you get the best deal with all the legal protections you’d expect. It really is as simple as that.