At our first meeting, we will discuss your situation and the nature of the services that will be provided, and an estimate of the timeframe for completing the needed services. We will prepare you a fee agreement that spells out the work to be done and the fee we will charge. It will indicate whether you are paying a flat fee or an hourly fee and how often you can expect us to bill you. If the scope of the work changes, or if you require additional work that was not discussed at the initial meeting, we will prepare a new fee agreement to cover the additional work.
Do You Charge for The First Meeting with An Attorney at Elder Law Group Pllc?
We may charge a consultation fee (currently $500), depending on the type of matter. However, we do offer complimentary consultations as well. Contact us to see if you qualify for a free consultation.
Why Do You Sometimes Charge a Fee for The First Meeting?
We know your time is valuable, and so is ours. We expect to accomplish quite a lot at our first meeting with you. We will determine the scope of the problem, offer you suggestions on how to address it, help you decide how to proceed, and start gathering the information we need to begin our service to you. To help make the best use of everyone’s time, we send you a questionnaire to complete and bring with you to the first meeting.
Though you may not have met us before, the initial meeting is far more than a “getting to know you” session. At the end of the consultation, you will have a clear picture of the path forward to address your legal needs.
Do All (or Most) Lawyers Charge an Initial Consultation Fee?
Some do and some don’t. While we have not conducted any studies, and know of none available, we believe that legal practitioners are about evenly split on the subject.