How you can help save money on your legal fees
We know that having to deal with a family law issue is difficult and it is our goal to get you through this process as quickly and efficiently as possible. You are the primary source of our information and the driver of your case. However, the saying, “time is money and money is time” has no better application than to legal fees. The following tips are ways that you can help us better spend your legal dollars because when we save time, you save money.
Communication:
First of all, we always want you to communicate with us about your case. You are the expert in your case and we absolutely need your input. However, how you communicate with us can be done in a way that keeps your bills down.
LIMIT YOUR EMAILS: Remember, for each email that we receive, the time to review and respond is billed against your retainer. Five emails in five days can create one hour’s worth of billing because we have to read and respond to each email as they come in! Since we bill in 12-minute increments, five emails equals $250 for some “quick emails.”
CALL INSTEAD OF EMAILING: Instead of sending multiple emails, especially if they are about the same problem, call and set up a quick telephonic or face to face appointment. In less time than it takes to respond to multiple emails, you can tell us what the problem is and we can then tell you what we need. This is what we are going to do in response to the emails anyways. This can help lower and manage your legal fees. In the end, we feel better about what we do if we do it in a cost effective manner that actually helps you. You feel better because you are getting more bang for your buck.
Respond to our inquiries:
Remember, you are the expert in your case. You are the best resource and sometimes our only resource to your case. When we ask you for documents or information, it is because we need those pieces for your case so we can be successful. If you fail to respond to our initial request for information or documents, we will have to ask again. This adds to your bill, and can be avoided.
If you are unsure or overwhelmed about what we are asking for, call us and speak to us. We are here to help.
We can give you direction and we can even have you come in to give you further advice. Although an appointment may take time that you will be billed for, it helps us get closer to what we need from you and won’t be wasted. We are here to help!
