Selecting a Lawyer

Choosing the right lawyer is not always easy. You will want to make sure your lawyer is competent to handle all of the legal issues and that you are comfortable with his or her approach to the matter. Any of our lawyers or staff will be pleased to assist you in the selection process. All you need to do is call one of us, explain your situation, and we will help you select the right lawyer in the firm to handle your work. If none of us works in the area of law that concerns you, we will refer you to an outside lawyer or other professional who will be best able to handle the matter.

Our Work

When you retain our firm, there should be a clear understanding between us about the extent of the work we are authorized to do. We will discuss the types of legal remedies or legal work required by the situation and, to the best of our ability, provide you with an estimate of the time and legal expense involved. If, as the work progresses, there are unexpected developments which result in a longer time period or greater expense than anticipated, we will tell you when we recognize this and seek your further instructions.

Appointments

So that we do not waste your time or ours, we prefer to work by appointment. It is more efficient for us and more economical for you if we meet at our office. If due to illness or disability you are unable to come to our office, we can make arrangements to meet in the most convenient place for you. Our office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for appointments. If an unusual situation arises, an appointment can be arranged for other days and times. If you are confronted with a legal emergency, you won't need any appointment. Just give us a call and the appropriate arrangements will be made to meet with you immediately.

Lawyer-Client Relationship

The relationship between a client and his or her lawyer requires complete trust and confidence between them. This is usually not a problem. You should understand, however, you are not obligated to retain our firm and we are not obligated to take your case if we do not feel comfortable with each other. Your work will be done in complete confidence, and no one will ever learn from us that you came to our office. We will try to keep you informed about the progress of your work as we go along. Sometimes you will hear from us by telephone and sometimes by a memorandum or an informal copy of a letter we send out or receive. Feel free to call with questions if you have not heard or do not understand. Regardless of the type of case, each one is important to us.

LEGAL COSTS

Fees
In most cases our fees are based upon the time and the responsibility involved. Some work is done on an hourly basis. For other matters, a flat fee is appropriate. You should discuss the fee arrangement with the lawyer during your first conference at our law firm. In some matters, he or she will be able to give you an estimate of the fee. In potentially lengthy matters an estimate will be more difficult to provide, requiring more complex arrangements regarding payment for fees. For some matters the fee may be billed and payable periodically; in others the fee may be payable upon completion of the work. GST will be added to our fees.

Disbursements
The work we do for you may require us to pay out money in order to obtain information, order transcripts, make copies, register documents, call long distance, etc. These expenditures are made by our firm on your behalf. Our general policy is that these payments should be made with your money, not ours, and an advance payment or "retainer" will be requested from you.

Retainer
In most cases, we will require an advance payment, or "retainer", as an advance towards our fees and disbursements. This retainer will be requested as soon as you engage our services. This payment is deposited into our trust account and is paid over to us periodically as services are rendered and billed, and money is paid out on your behalf. In matters which extend over a long period of time a number of retainers may be required as the matter progresses.