Before you hire an attorney to represent you in any legal matter, be sure you understand your attorney’s fees and fee structure. These should be clearly spelled out in a written representation agreement.  I offer services on a flat fee basis for most family law cases.  Our representation agreement will set out the fee and what is and is not included in the fee. These flat fees are also known as fixed fees, limited scope fees, limited appearance fees, or unbundled legal services.

Most Family Law cases are resolved at mediation. For this reason, I offer these flat fees to handle most family law matters through mediation. These flat or fixed fees are usually less than the retainers required by other attorneys. It usually takes a few months to get to mediation, therefore I can offer payment plans that extend payments over these months. In many cases, you can have full representation for a few hundred dollars a month.

I believe that flat fees are better for most clients. However, I also provide representation on an hourly fee basis if the client prefers or in cases where a flat fee is not appropriate. 

Be wary of attorney’s who ask you for a large sum of money without a clear explanation of how that money will be applied to the attorney’s fees. You may think this is a flat fee and that you will not have to pay your attorney any more money to complete your case. In fact, these large sums are frequently a fee advance, in which case you will be unpleasantly surprised when your attorney asks you for more money.

You have the right to have your representation agreement with me or any other attorney reviewed by another attorney. If you do not understand your agreement with your attorney, please contact me at (727) 382-7675 for a consultation during which I will review and explain your representation agreement and advise you whether you should sign it.