How can I keep my costs down? 

Clients often fail to realize their behavior has a substantial effect on the cost of their family law litigation. 

 

Unnecessary phone calls and emails are the number one way that family law clients run up their bills without benefiting their case. Generally, written communications consume much more time than verbal communications. 

 

Communications are costly. A simple one-minute phone call or email is not as simple as you may think. Each communication, for instance phone calls and emails, is billed at a minimum charge. Please understand that each communication entails retrieving your file, making notes in your file, and a making a billing entry. To keep your costs down, be proactive and follow our instructions without creating unnecessary communications. Unnecessary communications cause an increase in your bill without providing you any additional benefit. 

 

If we ask for information or documents from you, provide that quickly and all at once -- not in 10 different emails over 5 days. Send us one email with everything attached or drop off one package at our office. Don't create additional communications by requiring us to follow up with you because you did not provide the information we need to help you. 

 

Do your best to limit the information you provide in communications to what is relevant. Keep it short and to the point. Remember the old saying "time is money". The time it takes to communicate irrelevant information is a waste of your money. If you just need to blow off some steam by talking to someone, the personnel at this office are a costly listening ear. 

 

One line emails and quick questions are a good way to unnecessarily increase your bill. Before you send an email or call the office, consider whether the question you have or information you want to deliver is worth the minimum charge for that communication. If it is not, wait until you have multiple things to communicate about and do it all during one continuous communication as opposed to several short communications that each have a minimum charge. 

 

Organize your documents. If you bring us a pile of unorganized documents, it takes our time - and your money - to organize it. 

 

Why do you charge a minimum of 12 minutes (0.2 hrs)  for phone calls and emails?

Most clients don't realize that a quick phone call or worse, a one line email question, is not that simple for a professional law office.

 

Often, we must review the notes in your file or the documents in it in order to understand and respond to your question. For every phone call, email, or other action in your case we must access your file and make notes. We make notes in your file after we get off the phone with you. Even for email exchanges we must make notes in your file.

 

If whatever question or information you have for your attorney is not time sensitive and can wait until the next court date or phone call from your attorney, then hold off. You save money when you have longer conversations with your attorney as opposed to many short emails and phone calls. Generally, written communications consume much more time than verbal communications. 

 

 

Unnecessary phone calls and emails are the number one way that family law clients run up their bills without benefiting their case. 

 

If whatever question or information you have for your attorney is not time sensitive and can wait until the next court date or phone call from your attorney, then hold off on it until then. You save money when you have long verbal conversations with your attorney as opposed to many emails and short phone calls.

 

Do you charge me just to email you documents you need for my case? 

No. However, this office does charge for the time spent organizing, printing, filing, and reviewing the documents you deliver. 

 

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