CONSULTATIONS
My Office offers two consultation options to better serve your needs. We offer a free intake consultation as well as a virtual attorney consultation for a fee.
FREE CONSULTATIONS
Free consultations are provided to anyone seeking legal services from my office. This will include: identifying the facts of your case; identifying that charges; obtaining your criminal and traffic history; discussing what identifiable issues the case has and defenses if any as well as quoting a fee for service should you wish to retain my services.
VIRTUAL ATTORNEY SERVICES
This service is offered at a fee of $95 (See below) to those who have minor charges and want to handle the case themselves. This may occur because hiring an attorney would not be cost effective or because you can not afford the services of an attorney and do not qualify for a public defender. This service will be far more complete and will provide you with an understanding of how to conduct your case including written instructions and a follow-up consultation. After this consultation if you desire to hire my office the consultation fee will be applied to your retainer.
DURABLE AND LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY
We offer both Limited and Durable Power of Attorney forms at a fee of $50,00. (See description of each below.)
VIRTUAL ATTORNEY SERVICES
Many clients are charged with minor misdemeanor crimes both traffic and criminal and need the advice of an attorney but do not wish to spend $500 to $1500 to have an attorney handle the case for you. Many do not qualify for the services of the public defender and yet they would like the assistance of an attorney if they could afford it. Now you can through Virtual Attorney Services.
For the fee of $95 for a 45 minute phone consultation and a 15 minute follow-up consultation just prior to court I will provide the following services:
- Do an intake of the facts of your case to determine defenses or mitigating circumstances.
- Take a traffic and criminal history to determine its impact on the final outcome.
- Give you a list of things you will want to do before court to help your case.
- Provide you with penalty ranges for each charge and what must be proven.
- Explain exactly how the case will proceed in court regarding pleas, trials and motions.
- Provide a list of arguments and defenses to make to the judge.
- Give an estimate of the likely outcome although no guarantees can be made.
- Advise if this is a matter that should be handled by an attorney.
- Provide this information in writing for you to reference as you proceed.
- In your follow-up consult before you go to court answer last minute questions or concerns.
Many times you can handle these matters without a lawyer at your side. The correct advice can alter the outcome considerably and arm you with the information you need to improve your situation. Often just by taking a few extra steps that I can provide, you can save points on your license, suspensions, jail time, even have matters dismissed in some cases.
This is not advice you will receive in a normal consultation. Normally attorneys simply get the facts of the case from you and quote a fee to handle the case. After they have been hired they will give you an assignment for any tasks you must preform before court to assist your attorney. The attorney usually takes it from there, only giving you a vague idea of how he or she plans to handle the case. You are only consulted with whether you want to plead guilty, not guilty or accept a plea agreement.
After our phone consultation I will give you a recommendation of whether I think you are in over your head in defending yourself. If you choose you can retain my services to handle the case and I will apply the consultation fee to actual attorney fees. If you defend these cases yourself you will be armed with the knowledge and understanding of handling the matter effectively.
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DURABLE AND LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY
We off both Limited and Durable Power of Attorney forms at a fee of $50,00.
A Limited Power of Attorney is a document that allows a person you designate to legally act on your behalf for specific purposes that you designate. The person you designate can only act in your place under circumstances that you decide. Examples of this power would include, but not be limited to, allowing a family member to handle your banking activity while you were hospitalized or pay your bills and sign checks for you. It could allow you to authorize someone to make medical decisions for your minor children in your absence as well as perform other tasked that you would normally perform. With a Power of Attorney the person you designate would have legally binding authority to act for you in your absence.
This type of Power of Attorney usually lasts for a specific period of time and only for the purposes you authorize.
A Durable Power of Attorney is a document that gives the person you designate the right to act on your behalf and can range from limited powers to full powers to act for you in circumstances that you designate. This power can include a wide range of actions and the power would continue indefinitely even under circumstances where you are no longer legally competent. The power of this type of POA would continue until revoked by the party issuing it (The Principle)
These POA’s are recognized by courts and businesses as well as banking and health care providers. They provide a useful instrument for you to conduct your personal affairs if you are absent or incapacitated. It is important to have this document in place before you need it. Depending on circumstances you may not be able or eligible to authorize its implementation.
It is important that you realize that once issued, YOU are legally responsible for decisions made, contracts entered into or other obligations that your POA enters into on your behalf, so long as the person designated acts within the authority of the POA. For that reason it is important that any person you elect
for this responsibility is a person or persons that you trust with your personal affairs.