Yeah, good call on prepping ahead—I started doing that too after my first few bills made me cringe. Another thing: sometimes paralegals can handle the simpler stuff at lower rates. Helped me save a bit here and there... worth asking about at least.
Definitely smart to ask about paralegals handling the smaller stuff. I learned that lesson the hard way—reminds me of when we refinanced our house a few years back. Lawyer was charging me full rate just to email me PDFs and ask if I got them (seriously?). After the second bill, I called their office and joked, "Can I at least get a discount if I promise not to reply?" They laughed, but actually ended up having their paralegal handle most of the routine communications afterward. Saved me enough cash to ease the sting a bit.
Also, keep an eye out for bundled charges. Sometimes they'll lump tasks together, and you can politely ask for a breakdown. I once found out I was paying lawyer rates for photocopying... I mean, I know toner is expensive, but come on.
