Intake & Opinion 1
Before any formal legal work is done, we gather basic information to determine if a potential conflict of interest exists between you and anyone who might have used our services. This information is gathered by either me or my secretary. This includes submitting your name and address, along with the name and address of your spouse and his or her attorney.
If there is no conflict of interest, you are asked to sign a Limited Retainer Agreement. Once this is signed, the interview continues, and you are asked to respond to a detailed and confidential questionnaire. Just as in any attorney-client relationship, anything that you say on this questionnaire is privileged. This means that anything said in confidence to the attorney or members of the attorney’s staff must be held in confidence. I review this questionnaire with you in an extended telephone conference or video conference with you. This conference is very important because it allows us to get to know each other a bit better, and allows me to talk to you in depth regarding your case. Of course, you can ask whatever questions you want during this conference.
At the conclusion of the conference I will review the facts with you. After establishing the accuracy of the facts, I compose a preliminary written opinion to you for your consideration. This opinion is either e-mailed to you or reviewed with you by allowing you to review the opinion by linking onto my computer and reviewing it on screen. After you have reviewed this e-mail we discuss my recommendations. Often times I will make a revision to my recommendation based upon your questions or our discussions. The final recommendations are sent to you by way of e-mail and hard copy.
Referral to Local Counsel
Unless there is an emergency, within two business days after I E-mail and send you the written opinion I speak with the local attorney to see if there is a conflict of interest at that level. If there is then I select alternate counsel. Ether way, I refer you to local counsel for you to schedule an appointment at their office. May times local counsel will ask you to bring in documents for him/her to review. See Gather Important Information Now. Local counsel will review my recommendations, as well as information gathered during the intake interview, and correct facts as necessary. Local counsel may or may not agree with my recommendation and will advise you accordingly. Finally, local counsel may or may not accept the case, and you may or may not want to retain local counsel.
At this, and future points down the road, you will determine if, and the degree to which you want or need my continued involvement. This is a decision that is made by you, local counsel, and me, based upon the complexity of the case, your individual needs, and the time demands of your case.
Fee Sharing
I do not receive any form of fee for referring you to local counsel. In fact, none of the attorneys with whom I work across the state have any type of financial interest in my law firm or this website. They do not give me any form of kickback for referring a case to them. The referral is strictly based upon merit.
If you want my continued involvement in the case, then a portion of my fee may be shared with local counsel. The fee splitting will always be disclosed to you.
If local counsel and I work together on a matter, then the rate is adjusted so that you will not be double-billed. The combined rate may be slightly higher than if billed by only one of us.
Benefits
At the conclusion of your meeting with local counsel you will have had the benefit of two opinions, one written and one oral. Your facts will have been checked twice by attorneys and as many times as necessary by you. Should you decide to retain both myself and local counsel you are able to communicate with either one of us based upon your comfort level, or as necessary to better achieve the goals that you establish in your case.
1: While this is a multi-step process there does not have to be any type of significant time delay. Most intake, interviews and opinions are rendered within a couple of hours.
2: I am often asked to give second opinions for an already existing case. A second opinion for an already existing case is billed per hour.
