"I prefer having formal contracts established with regular, ongoing clients that provide for flat monthly rates for recordings or filings."

I think it is safe to say that we would all prefer that.  In my experience those folks are a little hard to come by these days.

We have had several clients recently shy away from monthly flat rates due to potential tax concerns surronding the client / independant contractor relationship.  It seems a little alarmist to me, but hey - the customer is always right and we will go to great lengths to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

... and just for the record I started out as a bike messanger in New York about 15 years ago.  I am proud of my humble beginings and often struggle to fit in with other business owners and abstractors / lawyers with more formal training.

Were I better educated, more ambitious and a snapier dresser I would probably try to court clients of a more elite nature - as it stands, I am content with our glorified messanger service business model as long as it gets us through this current economic crisis and sends my little boy to college. 

Maybe he can do better than I have :-)