Questions firms ask before we start.
Common questions about fees, access, ownership and working with Palivon.
Fees and scope
01 What does a Surveyor cost, and how is it priced?
A Surveyor is a fixed fee, set by how many service areas are in scope and how complex the firm is. I quote it after a discovery call, and the fee is written into the statement of work before anything begins.
02 How do you charge?
Fixed fees by scope, not hours. Projects are generally billed half on signing and half on completion. Retainers are billed monthly in advance.
10 How long does a Surveyor take?
It depends on how many service areas are in scope. The timeline is set in the statement of work before the review begins.
How I work
03 Are you going to tell me to replace everything?
No. I start with what you already own. Most firms are paying for capabilities they have never switched on, and the Surveyor usually finds several before it finds anything you need to buy.
04 We already use Claude or ChatGPT. Why would we need you?
Having a tool and understanding how to use it are two different things. Is it connected to your firm's knowledge base or the rest of your stack? Does it know how your firm works? Most firms I talk to are scratching the surface, and that gap is where I work.
05 Do you review our compliance?
I don't make compliance determinations; your CCO does. What I can do is look at how your team carries out those obligations day to day and find the manual steps that don't need to be manual. Your CCO approves the outcome, not me.
06 What do you need access to?
I work through your team and your accounts. Where direct access is required, I use a dedicated least-privilege account, and only for as long as the work needs it.
Ownership and protections
07 Are you insured?
Yes. Palivon carries professional liability (errors and omissions) and cyber liability insurance, and will provide a certificate of insurance on written request.
08 Who owns the deliverables and the website?
You do, on payment in full. For a website, the source repository transfers to an account your firm controls, along with everything needed to deploy it.
09 What happens if we stop paying for website management?
Either side can end management on thirty days' notice. The repository transfers to you, and hosting continues for fifteen days after the end date so you have time to move the site.
11 Do you take referral fees or vendor commissions?
No. I take no commissions or referral fees from any vendor or custodian, and I don't pay for referrals either. Recommendations are made in your firm's interest alone.
Where I work
12 Do you work with firms outside Arizona?
Yes. Most of my work is in Arizona, and I take engagements elsewhere as well.