Can I afford an attorney?
That is the vital question and concern of many when they are served with a family law matter or are wanting to file a case but have no idea how to go about it.
The cost for an attorney has risen significantly in the last year and I often have clients contact me after expending thousands and are no longer able to afford their attorney. Often times they are requesting assistance in preparing for trial. Honestly, this is the worst time to not have an attorney as it is the most vital part of the case regardless of what has happened up to that point. I will help them but I am clear with them how vital representation can be at trial.
Trial is the most costly part of the case so the best thing you can do for yourself if you believe there is any chance you will be forced to go to trial is to ensure you have the money available or are saving in anticipation. Fees can range from $10k-60k, sometimes more, just for trial. If you can afford two or three times that amount then an attorney might be the right choice for you. Only you can determine this for yourself. If you do go this route be sure to find someone that you feel aligned with, do not go with the first one you speak with, do your homework.
Clients that come to me after having an attorney from the start of their case are often frustrated by what has or has not occurred and the amount of money they have expended that does not equate to the work that has occurred as far as they are concerned, causing stress and further frustration by the amount of work that is still needed and the additional money that will have to be expended.
When you hire an attorney, you are hiring the office. Meaning, you are hiring the administrative staff, the paralegal(s), the attorney(s) that are working/discussing your case, who also carry significantly high student loans that must be paid. The attorney is not doing the daily work on your case, their main task is to prepare for appearances in court, reviewing final discovery, and mediation or trial preparation/representation.
So the question becomes okay, well I can't afford the attorney or I don't want to expend thousands if I can avoid it, how can a LLLT help me?
First let's clarify what a LLLT is (Limited License Legal Technician). The state supreme court ordered for this license to be developed to open different areas of law for a lesser cost to consumers as another legal profession similar to nurse practitioners. The main difference is we do not represent you in court as we cannot argue your case and we can only assist in family law matters and minor guardianships with some limitations*.
That being said when you hire a LLLT you are often hiring a paralegal and legal professional combined into one role. While paralegals cannot advise, they are the backbone of the attorney and know your case inside and out and relay information to the attorney who then advises the paralegal and the client on the case from their perspective as the legal advisor.
A LLLT can advise just as an attorney can and have experience as a paralegal. It is important to note that just like attorneys can go to school and practice any area of law, a paralegal can work with an attorney in any area of law and it is up to the law firm on what their requirements are in hiring a paralegal. All legal professionals have to start somewhere, just like any career. This means that some LLLT's may have never worked in family law prior to getting their license so we all have our own individual backgrounds. This may or may not matter but it is something to be aware of.
Another caveat as a LLLT is that we cannot have someone such as a paralegal do our work for us. We are required to do the work ourselves in drafting all court required documents. We advise, asisst in discovery, prepare you to represent yourself in court (which is often more effective because you know your situation better than anyone), and negotiate or prepare and attend mediation, or prepare you for trial to the best of our ability. In some circumstances an attorney may be needed on a limited basis to further advise or to appear at a hearing, this is determined on an individual basis.
We are not paying a staff and we do not have the heavy student loans attorneys are carrying. We still have costs and requirements similar to attorneys in that we have to carry insurance, pay a license fee and participate in required continued education In several cases we have had mandatory CLEs which we have to pay for and attend due to our rules changing and expanding to allow us to do more to help in facilitating completion of the family law/minor guardianship matters. We have more education in family law than an attorney and we have to abide by the same ethics. We also had to take several exams similar to the bar exam.
The difference in overhead is the reason that we can offer assistance to more consumers in Washington state for a lower fee. We work independently of attorneys or in offices where attorneys recognize the LLLT's role. We do not require an attorney to oversee our work. Just as attorneys can set their own fees for charging clients so can LLLT's so no one office will be the same as another.
There is also the flexibility of paying hourly and providing a deposit, or paying a flat fee for services, also dependent on the individual LLLT. My office only operates on a flat fee basis while others charge hourly. This can help in managing your costs and determining what the best fit for you may be. Each office also has their own rates/fees they will charge for services as well as particular areas of the state they will assist in, not necessarily restricted to the area they reside or work in, largely due to not appearing in court and/or the court's individual procedures and access.
More often than not your best option may be to hire a LLLT at the start and save money in case you need to hire an attorney later.
*Limitations apply particularly in modifications of parenting plans and minor guardianships, with other caveats that may or may not apply to a particular case. We CANNOT assist in defacto parentage or contested relocation matters under any circumstances.
Ultimately you will have to decide for yourself how you will proceed, but often times a legal professional is necessary to navigate your case as it pends in the court with the individual procedures and requirements each court follows.
**Stay tuned for other areas to potentially open in the coming years as the legislation has recently taken steps to move this agenda forward.
If you have a matter in another state, you should look into whether there is a similar legal profession such as the LLLT under a different name.
#LLLT #Washingtoncourts #Familylaw #Minorguardianship #Custody #Divorce
That is the vital question and concern of many when they are served with a family law matter or are wanting to file a case but have no idea how to go about it.
The cost for an attorney has risen significantly in the last year and I often have clients contact me after expending thousands and are no longer able to afford their attorney. Often times they are requesting assistance in preparing for trial. Honestly, this is the worst time to not have an attorney as it is the most vital part of the case regardless of what has happened up to that point. I will help them but I am clear with them how vital representation can be at trial.
Trial is the most costly part of the case so the best thing you can do for yourself if you believe there is any chance you will be forced to go to trial is to ensure you have the money available or are saving in anticipation. Fees can range from $10k-60k, sometimes more, just for trial. If you can afford two or three times that amount then an attorney might be the right choice for you. Only you can determine this for yourself. If you do go this route be sure to find someone that you feel aligned with, do not go with the first one you speak with, do your homework.
Clients that come to me after having an attorney from the start of their case are often frustrated by what has or has not occurred and the amount of money they have expended that does not equate to the work that has occurred as far as they are concerned, causing stress and further frustration by the amount of work that is still needed and the additional money that will have to be expended.
When you hire an attorney, you are hiring the office. Meaning, you are hiring the administrative staff, the paralegal(s), the attorney(s) that are working/discussing your case, who also carry significantly high student loans that must be paid. The attorney is not doing the daily work on your case, their main task is to prepare for appearances in court, reviewing final discovery, and mediation or trial preparation/representation.
So the question becomes okay, well I can't afford the attorney or I don't want to expend thousands if I can avoid it, how can a LLLT help me?
First let's clarify what a LLLT is (Limited License Legal Technician). The state supreme court ordered for this license to be developed to open different areas of law for a lesser cost to consumers as another legal profession similar to nurse practitioners. The main difference is we do not represent you in court as we cannot argue your case and we can only assist in family law matters and minor guardianships with some limitations*.
That being said when you hire a LLLT you are often hiring a paralegal and legal professional combined into one role. While paralegals cannot advise, they are the backbone of the attorney and know your case inside and out and relay information to the attorney who then advises the paralegal and the client on the case from their perspective as the legal advisor.
A LLLT can advise just as an attorney can and have experience as a paralegal. It is important to note that just like attorneys can go to school and practice any area of law, a paralegal can work with an attorney in any area of law and it is up to the law firm on what their requirements are in hiring a paralegal. All legal professionals have to start somewhere, just like any career. This means that some LLLT's may have never worked in family law prior to getting their license so we all have our own individual backgrounds. This may or may not matter but it is something to be aware of.
Another caveat as a LLLT is that we cannot have someone such as a paralegal do our work for us. We are required to do the work ourselves in drafting all court required documents. We advise, asisst in discovery, prepare you to represent yourself in court (which is often more effective because you know your situation better than anyone), and negotiate or prepare and attend mediation, or prepare you for trial to the best of our ability. In some circumstances an attorney may be needed on a limited basis to further advise or to appear at a hearing, this is determined on an individual basis.
We are not paying a staff and we do not have the heavy student loans attorneys are carrying. We still have costs and requirements similar to attorneys in that we have to carry insurance, pay a license fee and participate in required continued education In several cases we have had mandatory CLEs which we have to pay for and attend due to our rules changing and expanding to allow us to do more to help in facilitating completion of the family law/minor guardianship matters. We have more education in family law than an attorney and we have to abide by the same ethics. We also had to take several exams similar to the bar exam.
The difference in overhead is the reason that we can offer assistance to more consumers in Washington state for a lower fee. We work independently of attorneys or in offices where attorneys recognize the LLLT's role. We do not require an attorney to oversee our work. Just as attorneys can set their own fees for charging clients so can LLLT's so no one office will be the same as another.
There is also the flexibility of paying hourly and providing a deposit, or paying a flat fee for services, also dependent on the individual LLLT. My office only operates on a flat fee basis while others charge hourly. This can help in managing your costs and determining what the best fit for you may be. Each office also has their own rates/fees they will charge for services as well as particular areas of the state they will assist in, not necessarily restricted to the area they reside or work in, largely due to not appearing in court and/or the court's individual procedures and access.
More often than not your best option may be to hire a LLLT at the start and save money in case you need to hire an attorney later.
*Limitations apply particularly in modifications of parenting plans and minor guardianships, with other caveats that may or may not apply to a particular case. We CANNOT assist in defacto parentage or contested relocation matters under any circumstances.
Ultimately you will have to decide for yourself how you will proceed, but often times a legal professional is necessary to navigate your case as it pends in the court with the individual procedures and requirements each court follows.
**Stay tuned for other areas to potentially open in the coming years as the legislation has recently taken steps to move this agenda forward.
If you have a matter in another state, you should look into whether there is a similar legal profession such as the LLLT under a different name.
#LLLT #Washingtoncourts #Familylaw #Minorguardianship #Custody #Divorce
RSS Feed