What A Fractional CTO Actually Costs A Law Firm

The question comes up on almost every first call, usually late and slightly apologetically. It should be the first question, so here is a direct answer.

The shape of the cost

A fractional arrangement buys senior judgement on a defined number of days per month. You are paying for decisions | system selection, vendor negotiation, roadmap, governance | not for hours at a keyboard. Most firms start with one to two days a month and adjust once the priorities are clear.

What it replaces

• A full-time senior hire that a mid-sized firm cannot keep busy or retain.
• Vendor-led decisions made without anyone independent in the room.
• Project overruns caused by nobody owning scope, usually visible in the build itself.

When to hire full time instead

If you have a permanent internal team of any size, a live multi-year transformation, and enough decision volume to fill a week, you need someone in the building. We will tell you that rather than stretch a retainer past its usefulness | and we are happy to help you recruit them.