The purpose of the law is to protect everyone in our society – not just one small group. Unfortunately, many people find that lawyers and the legal profession are inaccessible either because of high and unpredictable fees or because attorneys do a poor job of telling clients what is going on.
I am committed to making legal services accessible for all of my clients. I want clients to feel that they have real control over the legal process.
I provide a free initial consultation to new clients and I provide the first 15 minutes of telephone or e-mail inquiries free to active clients. If you are a current client and are wondering what’s going on with your case, just call or e-mail and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, usually by the end of the day.
I will provide detailed estimates of the work I will do and how much it will cost. Before I begin work on your case, I will tell you in writing:
*what I plan to do for you
*how long it is likely to take
*how much my fees will be
*how much other costs may be, such as expert witnesses and depositions, paralegals, specialist attorneys, or other professionals such as accountants
*who will actually work on your case
*what I think the result may be
*whether I think it is cost effective to hire me
*how much experience I have handling your type of case
If I don’t have a good estimate, for example how many depositions may be required in your case or whether your case will go to trial or not, then I will limit my evaluation to what I do know and offer to re-evaluate your case as more information becomes available.
If you honestly believe you cannot afford my services, let me know and we can discuss options available such us modifying how you pay me, seeking help from a legal aid office, representing yourself, or limiting the scope of the work I do for you.
The bottom line is that I want you to feel comfortable calling me to talk about your legal concerns. Some say that a lawyer’s most valuable asset is time; others say it is knowledge and experience. I say that a lawyer’s most valuable asset is the trust of her or his clients.
