You may find yourself in a situation where you have a family law case that you need to deal with, but you do not know where to begin. Attorneys are expensive, and paying for one does not work with everyone’s budget. but you need assistance guiding you through the complexities of family law. If a large retainer is out of the question for you, but need an attorney to help, unbundled services might be a good option for you.
Most people are aware of the traditional form of representation that an attorney can provide to a Client. The Client signs a fee agreement, pays a retainer, and the attorney begins working on the case, reaching out to the Client to discuss strategy and to obtain information so the attorney can move onto the next steps in the case. When you hire an attorney to represent you in the traditional sense, your attorney is in the driver’s seat. Oftentimes, traditional representation is unavoidable, especially if your case has any complex aspects to it.
If, however, you have an issues that lacks complexity, but you would feel more comfortable having an attorney to call upon, Unbundled services enables you to obtain assistance from an attorney behind the scenes, while you represent yourself in your case. When you hire an attorney on an unbundled basis, you are in the driver’s seat, and your attorney is waiting in the wings to assist you, should you need his or her help.
For example, you have decided you need a divorce but know you cannot afford traditional representation at this time. At GEM Family Law, you can request to work with one of our experienced family law attorneys on an unbundled / limited-scope basis. While the level of assistance that we provide is ultimately at your own discretion, you can sit down with an attorney and have them help you draft the required documents with you or you can bring the documents drafted yourself for the attorney to review.
The attorney can guide you through the dissolution of marriage process by giving you legal advice, evaluating your case and your rights, reviewing Court documents, suggesting and preparing documents, conducting legal research and analysis, assisting with discovery, attending mediation with you, preparing for Court appearances (including simulated role playing with the Court), and even attending mediation with you.
With unbundled services, the attorney can be there as a resource to assist you as much as you like. Because the attorney only completes work that you specifically ask them to, hiring an attorney on an unbundled basis can reduce your costs and help you maintain some control over the cost of your divorce. When using unbundled services, you are in control for how much contact you need with the attorney and how much assistance you request.
Hiring an attorney to help you on an unbundled basis can help reduce the stress and complexity of navigating the legal system. At GEM Family Law, our seasoned family law attorneys can discuss unbundled services as an option for you and your divorce or custody case during a free initial consultation.
Authored by: Anthony Zarsky, Associate Attorney