MosT frequent questions and answers
Freeland Martz is proud to offer a number of different compensation arrangements including hourly billing, flat fee arrangements, contingency agreements, and hybrids of all of those such as reverse contingency agreements or part hourly-part contingency arrangements. We will discuss your billing options during your initial consultation.
Our firm accepts payment in cash, check, money order, electronic transfers (Paypal, Google Pay, etc.) and credit cards. We also offer electronic invoicing and online payments for your convenience.
Most often having an attorney costs less than not having one. One way to answer this question is to explain how much it costs not to have an attorney, or to get the wrong one. Suffice it to say, the costs of being your own lawyer can be much more than what you would pay a trained professional.
But don’t take our word for it. Read what Judge Larry Primeaux says. His conclusion: “‘Penny wise and pound foolish’ is one way to put it.” We’d rather help you avoid problems than try to help you with them after problems arise. It’s less expensive for you.
Of course, different problems have different costs. Your problem is unique and until we know the circumstances any estimate of cost is a wild guess. There is no “normal” cost for any particular service. Certain types of cases generally fall into a predictable range which we will discuss with you at the outset of your case. Our firm offers hourly and flat fee billing arrangements and will work with you should a payment plan be necessary.
Asking how much a ________ (divorce, adoption, will, guardianship, etc.) case costs is like asking how much a house costs. To give an accurate estimate, the house builder must know the size of the home, see the blueprints, evaluate the soil conditions, etc. Once the builder has that information he can better estimate the cost of the home. It is the same with evaluating a case; before we know the parties, the complexities, and the facts any estimate of cost is a wild guess.
If you feel like you could handle your case on your own with just a little assistance and guidance, consider a limited scope representation.
No. Free advice is usually worth what you pay for it. We believe that our time, advice, and expertise are deserving of payment because we deliver the client value. Most other attorneys use a free consultation as a way to screen clients, not to offer them useful information about their problem. In other words, a free consultation is part of their marketing, not their service to the client. If you take the time to meet with our firm we are not going to try to sell you anything. We offer advice that our clients can use whether they hire us or not. In many cases the time spent with an attorney who is trying to help you can save thousands of dollars and untold amounts of aggravation. Because our consultations actually give our clients a benefit we charge for that service.
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