When the stakes are too high to go it alone...
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. If I have someone else draft my initial documents, but I end up needing help in a hearing, can you help?
A. Yes. That is at the heart of what unbundled legal services are about. We are willing and able to limit our services to only those that you actually need help with.
Q. Will it save me money to draft my documents myself or get them done by someone else for free and then contact you for representation later?
A. It depends. It will certainly save you money up front. However, if mistakes are made in your initial documents, it may cost you a great deal more to go back and fix your documents were regarding important details. So, it really all depends on who is drafting your documents. If you do not have an experienced attorney helping you, then you should really consider finding one to help.
Q. If I hire you to start my case and then things get messy, will you be available for full representation later?
A. Possibly. Our primary focus is on helping people with unbundled legal services so that we can maximize our ability to help. However, we do still take full service cases on to keep our skills sharp and where we see a real need. Additionally, if we can't help, you can take your documents to another attorney and start from where we left off.
Q. Do you provide free consultations?
A. We do not. Because we do not ask for large up-front financial investments (retainers) and keep our costs affordable, we are unable to provide free consultations. On the other hand, when you set up a 30-minute appointment to talk about your case, you can be assured that we will spend that time talking to you about your case and not spend time giving you a sales pitch.
Q. Do you help with legal services that are not listed on your website.
A. Contact us and find out. If you have an issue regarding bovine law, we probably can't help. But if you have a more common legal issue, there may well be some way we can assist.
Q. Can you help with small claims actions or child support cases through ORS or other administrative cases?
A. Yes.
Q. Are you available to contact after regular business hours?
A. We can make time available after business hours if requested. However, we do not typically stay late and work weekends unless it is specifically requested.
Q. Can you appear at hearings throughout the state?
A. While our bar license allows us to do this, we typically will not travel any further south than Utah County for a hearing. This may change in the future as we expand though.
Q. I would like to meet face to face, but I can't get to Ogden. Can you come to me?
A. That depends on where you live. If you live in Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Morgan or Salt Lake County, it should be no problem. If you live outside those counties, we will evaluate traveling based on your particular circumstances.
Q. Do I get assigned a public defender if I am low income?
A. In a criminal matter or juvenile court matter, you may be entitled to a public defender. In a civil matter, like a divorce action, a debt collection case or eviction hearing, free attorneys are typically not provided to the litigants - regardless of their income. Rather, if you are low income, you should look to see if you qualify for legal help from various legal aid organizations throughout the state that consider taking cases based on various qualifications.
Q. My divorce / custody case was scheduled on a "pro se calendar," what does that mean? Do I get a free attorney there?
A. In several districts across the state, the courts are trying to consolidate all of their pro se cases (cases in which one or both parties are representing themselves) into one calendar (one time slot during the week). The judges and commissioners that are running pro se calendars often times recruit local attorneys to volunteer with helping the pro se (self-represented) litigants to help streamline the calendar. The attorneys assisting are only there to help on the day of your hearing and will likely walk in to the hearing knowing nothing about your case until you meet them. Furthermore, they have no obligation to represent people they don't like or in cases that are more complex than they are comfortable with. All in all, pro se calendars can be very helpful to self-represented litigants, but you should not rely on the volunteer attorney of the day to substitute for proper case preparation.