Q:   Do you charge for an initial consultation?

 

A:   If you do not retain me, there is no charge. If you do choose to retain me, then my work on your case will begin with this initial meeting, and you will be billed at my usual hourly rate against your initial retainer fee.

 

Q:   What is a retainer fee? How much should I expect to pay?

 

A:   A retainer fee is a sum of money paid in advance against which time spent on your case is billed at my usual hourly rate. My hourly rate and retainer fee requirements are discussed at the initial conference and depend upon the complexity of your case and whether it is likely to be contested or uncontested.

 

Q:   What, if anything, do I need to do to prepare for our first meeting?

 

A:   When you contact my office, you will be provided with a Confidential Client History to complete in preparation for our first meeting and given a list of documents, (such as tax returns), that are helpful assessing the situation. The information you provide allows me to determine what issues are likely to arise in your case and is essential in recommending a course of action and setting a reasonable retainer fee.

 

Q.   Do you mostly represent men or women in your practice?

 

A:   Historically, my practice has been fairly evenly split between men and women. I feel equally comfortable representing husbands and wives.

 

Q.   What are the primary attributes that you believe contribute to your being a successful Family Law Attorney?

 

A:   My experience and my judgment. I have been practicing Family Law for more than 28 Years. During that period I have dealt with most every issue that is apt to come up in your case. This experience, along with my judgment allows me to recognize whether a case should be settled without going to trial. This can eliminate the time, cost and emotional stress of lengthy litigation, which often serves my clients well. Unfortunately, some situations require litigation to protect a client?s interests, and when my client?s best interests are best served by a trial, I go to trial.

 

Q.   What counties do you practice in?

 

A.   I regularly have cases in Essex and Nantucket counties. However, over the years I have handled cases in Norfolk, Barnstable, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties. Depending on the circumstances, I will consider on its merits any case in Eastern Massachusetts.