An experienced general counsel for a few days a month. They handle contracts and everyday legal questions, manage outside firms, and spot risk before it becomes a dispute.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who fit.
A fractional general counsel is an experienced in-house lawyer who serves as a company's legal lead part-time, usually for a flat monthly fee. They review and negotiate contracts, handle employment and corporate questions, support financings, manage outside law firms and build legal processes. Retainers range from about $1,500 a month for light support to $15,000 or more for embedded work.
Growing companies usually handle legal work in one of two expensive ways: they send everything to an outside firm by the hour, or they don't ask at all and hope nothing goes wrong. Both get more costly as the business grows.
A fractional general counsel works like an in-house lawyer who knows your business, but part-time. They answer the everyday questions in a ten-minute call instead of a billable memo, keep contract templates current, and decide when a matter needs a specialist firm. Many clients find the drop in outside counsel spend covers a large share of the retainer.
MentorCruise is not a law firm and doesn't provide legal advice. Any legal engagement, including an engagement letter and conflict checks, is between you and the attorney you choose.
TL;DR
Fractional general counsel retainers range from about $1,500 a month for light support to $15,000 or more for embedded work, with most growing companies paying $3,000–$15,000. GoFractional's live data shows an average of $248 an hour, or $9,100–$15,600 a month for about 13 hours a week. Many firms start with a fixed-fee legal assessment.
Typical monthly retainer
$3,000–$15,000/mo
Hourly rate in live job posts
$175–$300/hr
Monthly cost in live job posts
$9,100–$15,600/mo
| Pricing model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Legal assessment | Fixed fee, often around $6,500 | A review of contracts, structure and risks, with a legal roadmap |
| Foundation tier | $1,500–$2,500 per month | Templates, light contract review, everyday questions |
| Growth tier | $3,000–$4,500 per month | Regular contract negotiation, employment questions, vendor terms |
| Embedded tier | $5,000–$15,000 per month | Acting as in-house counsel: financings, disputes, outside counsel management |
| Enterprise | $15,000+ per month | High volume, multiple jurisdictions, regulated industries |
| Outside counsel by the hour | $400–$1,500 per hour | Specialist matters: litigation, M&A, patents |
| Full-time general counsel | $350,000–$600,000 per year | Large legal volume and a legal team |
A full-time general counsel at a growing company costs $350,000–$600,000 a year including salary, bonus, benefits and equity. Outside counsel billing at $400–$1,500 an hour adds up quickly for routine work. A fractional GC typically costs 30–70% of a full-time hire and can reduce how much routine work goes to outside firms.
The number of customer, vendor and partner contracts each month is usually the biggest factor.
Fundraises, acquisitions and major partnerships add significant work.
Healthcare, financial services, data privacy and multi-country operations need specialist knowledge.
Growing teams, contractors in many locations and disputes all add hours.
The scope is set in the engagement letter. These are the most common areas.
Customer agreements, vendor terms, NDAs and partnerships, with templates your team can use.
Offer letters, contractor agreements, policies, terminations and equity paperwork.
Board consents, cap table hygiene and support on fundraises alongside deal counsel.
Privacy policies, data processing terms and industry-specific rules.
Choosing specialist firms, scoping their work and keeping their bills in check.
Spotting legal risk early and managing disputes before they reach litigation.
Three ways to get legal support, and how they compare.
| Option | How it's billed | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional general counsel | Flat monthly fee | Ongoing, routine legal work with business context | Make sure the scope and response times are written down |
| Outside law firm | Hourly, $400–$1,500/hr | Specialist work: litigation, M&A, patents | Routine questions get expensive fast |
| Full-time general counsel | Salary, $350,000–$600,000/yr | High legal volume and a legal team | A big fixed cost before you need it |
Most companies with a fractional GC still use outside firms, just for fewer, more specialist matters, and with someone on their side scoping the work.
These are the most common signs.
When not to hire one: Very early companies with few contracts can usually get by with good templates and an outside firm for formation and fundraising.
Sales waits days for redlines, and every customer gets different terms.
Routine questions are going to a law firm at hourly rates.
You need someone to get your house in order before diligence.
Employment rules, contractor classifications and equity grants are getting complicated.
Tell us what you need and our team will introduce you to people who have done this job before, so you can talk to them before you commit.
Tell us what you needAsk about specific outcomes, not credentials. A good candidate will tell you what didn't work as readily as what did.
Which jurisdictions are you licensed in, and how do you handle others?
What's included in the monthly fee, and what's billed separately?
What response time can we expect on contract reviews?
Which industries and deal types have you worked on in-house?
How do you choose and manage outside counsel?
Still have questions? Email our team and we'll help you work out what you need.
Fractional general counsel retainers range from about $1,500 a month for light support to $15,000 or more for embedded work. GoFractional's live data shows an average of $248 an hour, or $9,100–$15,600 a month for about 13 hours a week.
A fractional general counsel acts as part-time in-house counsel: reviewing and negotiating contracts, handling employment and corporate matters, supporting financings, managing outside law firms and identifying legal risk.
For routine, ongoing work, usually yes. A flat monthly fee replaces hourly billing at $400–$1,500 an hour, and a fractional GC who knows your business answers many questions without a formal memo. Specialist matters still go to outside firms.
The terms are often used interchangeably. General counsel usually implies a senior lawyer who leads all legal matters, while legal counsel can mean a more junior or narrower role.
No. MentorCruise is not a law firm and doesn't provide legal advice. We introduce you to experienced legal professionals, and any legal engagement is between you and the attorney you choose.
Use the form on this page to describe your legal needs and jurisdiction, and we'll introduce you to experienced in-house lawyers who fit. You can also browse legal mentors directly.
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