FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I like to think that my pricing system is flexible and creative rather than "complicated." The fee arrangement depends on the type and complexity of the case and the client's ability to pay and commitment to the case. The fee could be a flat fee, which is common for estate planning engagements. Certain fees are set by statutue, such as handling a probate. I accept certain cases on a contingency basis. Sometimes the fee arrangement is a hybrid (such as a combination of a monthly retainer and a contingency). I also offer discounted hourly rates when the client commits to keeping a retainer on deposit.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Yes. I am required to certify with The State Bar of California that I have taken at least 25 hours of Minimum Continuing Legal Education ("MCLE") classes during the previous three years. I am in "Compliance Group 2" whose most current compliance period is February 1, 2009 to January 31, 2012. I am MCLE compliant. We attorneys are further required to take classes in ethics in the legal profession; the elimination of bias in the legal profession by reason of but not limited to sex, color, race, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical disability, age, or sexual orientation; and the prevention, detection, and treament of substance abuuse or mental illness that impairs professional competence.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
The best way to select any service provider (lawyer, doctor, plumber, etc.) is by recommendations from family and friends you trust. There is a simple reason for that advice: the bedrock foundation of the attorney-client relationship *is* trust. If the person making the recommendation is someone you trust, then it will be easier for the client and the attorney to come to trust each other. Absent such a recommendation, then there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting where the prospective client can "get a feel for" and form an impression of the lawyer, and vice versa.