Funny, and that applies to many jobs.
I paid about $4500 last Summer for three tax returns, for my dad's estate. Three back tax returns(15-17) cost almost $1500 each. They had the IRS transcripts on the same day I went in and first met them. The returns were done in about three days, by one paralegal. She mentioned she consulted with one of the firm's partners 3-4 times, and that it took a few hours for all of it. The world we live in, fairness is not part of reality.