Traditional Full Scope Retainer Agreements
If you retain our firm to assist you in your family law matter, we will enter into a Retainer Agreement with you. This is a contract between our firm and you for the provision of our legal services to represent you for the duration of your family law matter; whether negotiating a Separation Agreement or engaging in litigation. It sets out the framework for the legal services to be provided. It is intended to be comprehensive.
In addition to the Retainer Agreement, we will ask you to provide a Financial Retainer which represents some of the funds $$ needed to pay for your legal services. The Financial Retainer required for family law matters is unique to each case and will usually reflect the level of complexity. Ms. MacCormac will review with you the required financial retainer needed for our firm to represent you if you arrange to have a consultation with her.
Retainer funds received from our clients are placed in trust for the payment of future legal services. In this way, our firm can be assured that our clients have the financial ability to pay the legal services required for us to conduct the case.
Don’t go it alone!
Unbundled Services – Limited Scope Engagement Agreements (LSEA)
At times, some legal advice is better than no legal advice at all. We are strong advocates of family law clients not going it alone.
With the advent of Limited Scope Engagement Agreements, family law clients can now engage our firm for only the immediate legal services needed. The LSEA may be limited to time or event, but is not a comprehensive retainer of our firm and not designed to be an agreement to represent our clients through the entirety of their case.
With the Limited Scope Engagement Agreement, Ms. MacCormac can be retained to provide representation for you at many different types of family law related meetings and hearings.
Speaking in front anyone to present your side of a family law case is nerve wracking, whether it is in front of a Judge, mediator, arbitrator or custody assessor. You should always have professional help.
**With appropriate advance notice to our firm and appropriate time to prepare, Ms. MacCormac can represent you at individual family law in court and out of court events such as upcoming:
- Court Appearances
- Case Conferences
- Settlement Conferences
- Motions
- Trial Management Conferences or Pre-Trial Hearings
- Trials
- Mediation Sessions
- Arbitration Sessions
- Disclosure Meetings held by a Child Custody Assessor
Paid Consultations
Ms. MacCormac can also be engaged on a limited basis to provide limited legal advice and assistance with the preparation of court documents and general preparation for court including preparation for a conference, a motion, a trial or an appeal.
It should be noted that the Limited Scope Engagement Agreement LSEA is intended to be limited and as such it is not meant to be comprehensive or extensive. The legal advice and representation provided will be limited based upon time and opportunity to analyze information or documents or information available at that time. This means that you have to have a good understanding of what you need and what is able to be provided. Our firm cannot be responsible for those issues that arise beyond that which is contracted for in the LSEA.
There are a multitude of times and scenarios when some legal representation or advice may be needed and available to you. Please don’t go it alone. Call our offices or send us an email to find out if we can help you on a limited or fixed rate basis.