Have Questions?
We have answers to some of the commonly asked questions about us.
How much will it cost me?
We charge a mixture of fee types for our legal services depending greatly on the case type and attorney time involved, which include: flat fees, monthly fees and hourly fees. While we attempt to include all known costs at the time of signing the retainer such as: court filing fees, court summons fees, service of process, parking at the courthouse for hearings, copies, faxes, postage, etc.. It is impossible to foresee all costs at the beginning of representation for an entire case though, and thus the client will be required to pay all additional costs as they come due during representation.
Do you offer a free/in-person consultation?
We have had numerous people request a free consultation purely to gain free legal advice with no intention of ever retaining any lawyer, let alone our office. For these reasons, we generally restrict the initial no-cost consultation to one phone/chat/email conversation of about 15 minutes or less; and we will not spell out the exact plan of action or process in great detail until an attorney-client relationship is formed. This time is to merely evaluate the general facts of your case, what remedies are available to the client, and quote a price for the service(s); and for the client to decide if they want to go with our firm. This is not to continue to discuss a matter for days on end back and forth or give free advice. 15 minutes is deemed ample time to discuss the general facts and terms of representation.
If you would like further time beyond the free consultation to discuss by telephone or in person, it can be purchased at $150 for every 30 minutes of attorney time; or $75 for 15 minutes.
We will NOT accept walk-ins to our office without an appointment under any circumstances; absent an emergency matter (a hearing or deadline in 24 hours or less).
If you are looking for “general legal advice” or to continue discussing your matter beyond the free 15 minute consultation period, we charge $150.00 for a maximum 30 minute (or $75 for 15 minutes) meeting/call which will be billed up-front before scheduling. This fee is to dissuade seekers of free general legal advice with no desire to pay and hire an attorney from expending valuable attorney time or further time beyond the free 15 minute consultation.
What is included in the initial phone/web/email consultation?
This is an informal conversation that gives us the opportunity to assess the issues involved in your case, and the remedies available to you, so that we can give you an accurate estimate of what our services will cost you. This will generally only last about 15 minutes maximum. The free consultation is NOT meant to provide free legal advice or substitute for hiring a competent attorney; and thus specific details and procedures will not be discussed. The initial consult also gives you the opportunity to determine whether you think we are the right law firm for you and if you want to hire us to represent you for your legal matters. Representation does not begin until a retainer agreement is signed and a deposit paid. Again, you may purchase further time to continue discussion and ask questions, but the free consultation period is approx. 15 minutes. That is ample time to discuss the general facts and terms of representation which is what the free consultation is for.
What if I can’t afford your fees up-front?
We offer payment plans that can be paid weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly to make our legal services as affordable to you as possible. We also accept all major credit cards if you do not have access to funds immediately (in addition to cash, check and money order) as well as Paypal.