Thanks for the input, all. We have a process, that combines some of the suggestions from each of you, but the information is helpful. I was curious to see how others handled those problems.

Regardless of how well you prepare, there are times when you run into a difficult client. One, that from the beginning was going to try to work you for every penny. The good faith you thought you had established during early negotiations has evaporated. They might even try to bill you for their time spent on the phone answering questions regarding design clarification. I could go on and on. What are some of the early signs you would look for that you might it possible to weed out these types of clients?