We know that you don't want to pay us any more that you have to, and we hate to waste your money. This information will help you keep our fees down.
Phone calls
Talk to the right person. Each member of our team works what we call "billable hours," and each team member's time is billed at a difference rate, as your retainer shows. If you want to change an appointment time, our receptionist can help you with no charge. If you want to talk about your bill, please ask for our office manager with no charge. If you want to change an answer on a form you filled out, please talk to one of our paralegals. If you want legal advice, please talk to a partner.
Keep phone calls focused. Before you call, make notes of what you want to discuss. As we talk, write down our answers so you don't have to ask again. It's not that we don't need and want to talk to you - we do. It's that phone communications take time, and you're paying for it in six-minute increments. We need to know how your part of our teamwork is progressing. We need to hear and answer you questions. We need to know if you've been served with papers. We need to know if the other party is not complying with court orders. We also need to know how you feel about it. If you need to sob on someone's shoulder - well, it happens with many of our clients and we have consoled them as best we can - just consider that the clock is running and there are professionals in other fields who are better equipped deal with the emotions that go along with these cases.
Documents
Comply with requests for documents as soon as possible. If you don't, or if you don't tell us why you can't, we'll have to call you, and that phone call will appear on your bill. If a phone call doesn't help, we'll have to send you a letter, and the time that takes will appear on your bill, as well. Also, if you don't provide the requested documents, the other side may file a motion with the court to get them. We will have to respond to the motion and appear in court - all at your expense. Finally, if that doesn't work, you may lose your case because you don't provide what we need. Yes, the Judge can do that just because you didn't provide last year's tax return.
Police involvement
Think twice. If the opposing party threatens harm or abuses you or your children, you and we MUST take it seriously and involve the police. If something much less serious has happened, for instance a rude remark, yelling, or growing frustration that makes you angry - don't call the police. We can address that just as (maybe more) effectively with less mess, noise, and expense with phone calls and letters to opposing counsel.
