Comparison
In-House Lawyer vs Outside Counsel
Quick answer
In-house counsel is a lawyer employed directly by a company — embedded in the business, available daily, and deeply familiar with operations. Outside counsel are law firms or independent attorneys engaged on a matter-by-matter or retainer basis. Most companies use both: in-house for day-to-day legal needs and outside counsel for specialized or high-stakes matters.
Key differences
When to choose In-House Lawyer
- Your legal volume has grown to the point where outside counsel fees exceed the cost of an in-house hire
- You need someone embedded in business decisions who can advise in real time
- You want legal knowledge integrated into your product, HR, and commercial decisions — not just reactive
- You are scaling rapidly and need consistent, context-aware legal support across departments
When to choose Outside Counsel
- You need specialized expertise for a specific matter — litigation, M&A, IP filing, or regulatory compliance
- Your legal needs are episodic and don't justify a full-time hire
- You are an early-stage company and want access to senior legal expertise without the fixed cost
- You need a second opinion or specialized support alongside your existing in-house counsel
- You face a bet-the-company legal matter requiring the best specialized expertise available
Which Should You Choose?
Early-stage and mid-market companies typically start with outside counsel and eventually hire in-house when legal volume justifies it. A good rule of thumb: when you're paying more than $200K/year in outside counsel fees for routine work, in-house counsel often provides better value. For specialized matters, outside counsel will always be part of the equation even after you have in-house legal.
Typical cost
Court filing fee (인지액)
₩50,000–₩2,055,000
For claims of ₩10 million to ₩500 million. Under ₩10 million it is 0.5% of the claim; from ₩10 million to under ₩100 million, 0.45% plus ₩5,000; from ₩100 million to under ₩1 billion, 0.4% plus ₩55,000; from ₩1 billion, 0.35% plus ₩555,000. Examples: ₩230,000 for ₩50 million, ₩455,000 for ₩100 million, ₩2,055,000 for ₩500 million.
Appeal and final appeal filing fees
1.5× and 2× the first-instance fee
A notice of appeal pays 1.5 times the first-instance fee and a notice of final appeal to the Supreme Court pays twice. For a ₩100 million claim that is ₩455,000, then ₩682,500 and ₩910,000.
Lawyer's fee the loser can be ordered to repay (per court level)
₩300,000–₩13,400,000+
₩300,000 for a claim up to ₩3 million, ₩2 million for ₩20 million, ₩4.4 million for ₩50 million, ₩7.4 million for ₩100 million and ₩13.4 million for ₩500 million. This is a reimbursement ceiling, not a lawyer's price: it cannot exceed what the winner paid, and it is halved when the defendant admits the whole claim or does not contest.
Your own lawyer's fee
Set by contract
There is no official fee schedule. Ask for a written agreement that says what is included, such as each court level and any success fee.