Exactly, law is very much a relationship business. 15 minutes of free time for them to hear your problem and give you a template letter (or better yet, put one

Exactly, law is very much a relationship business. 15 minutes of free time for them to hear your problem and give you a template letter (or better yet, put one on their letterhead and mail it for you) is absolutely a price they're willing to pay for you to say to your friends and family how great they were and how they fixed your problem for free. And let's not forget that some lawyers are people too - sticking it to someone who is taking advantage of others illegally is a not-often-discussed perk of the job.