Unbundled legal services can be difficult for clients to understand. What are they? Could they be helpful in my case? What happens if I need more?
First, unbundled legal services are legal services that are limited and defined in scope. For example, if you hired an attorney to provide full representation in a divorce, that attorney would: draft pleadings (such as the summons and petition, the ICMC data sheet, and the divorce decree); coordinate communication with the bench, opposing counsel (or party), and third party providers (such as child consultants, mediators, and evaluators); appear at all court hearings and provide representation; provide legal analysis and guidance; and other such services. In unbundled legal services, the client, with the aid of the attorney, determines which services the client needs and/or wants and can afford. In family law, clients can unbundle many services including:
§ Coaching (such as giving a client an idea of what will happen at a hearing, mediation session, or an evaluation and determine strategy),
§ Document review (explaining and critiquing documents that the client has received such as a summons and petition, discovery, or a settlement),
§ Legal research into a unique or complicated family law situation,
§ Appearances (such as attending a hearing or mediation with a client),
§ Providing legal opinion,
§ Drafting parenting plans (including regular, holiday, and vacation schedules, communication guidelines, and other parenting related provisions),
§ Organization of exhibits or discovery or
§ Negotiations.
In unbundling the services, clients are billed either at an hourly rate or flat fee. Unlike full service, bundled representation generally allows clients to have a better understanding of how much a specific service will cost (and often is much less expensive than full representation). For example, if a client asks me how much a divorce will cost, I can give them a very general idea but I have no way to anticipate what the specific cost will be whereas it is dependent on so many variables. On the other hand, if a client requests that I review a summons and petition and provide a review, I can give them a very specific anticipation of costs. Unbundled legal services are also very helpful for clients who live in rural areas and don’t have or have very limited access to attorneys.
While unbundled legal services can be exactly what some people need, it is important to understand that they are not a perfect fit for every client and every case. If you are considering this type of service, I can review your case and give you an idea of whether or not this service is appropriate for you. Some examples of cases where I have seen it is not appropriate are as follows:
§ Clients that are very busy with work and family and just don’t have extra time to follow up on their case,
§ Clients that are less organized or don’t feel confident putting information together ,
§ Clients that feel that the other party has control or power over them or
§ Cases that are complex and will have extended litigation.
Finally, unbundled legal services will not exclude you from obtaining full representation in the future if it is needed or just wanted. For example, I had a party who was engaged in a divorce proceeding who retained me to review a settlement offer. I reviewed the offer and proved the client with a document which outlined my concerns regarding the potential agreement. Three months later, settlement negotiations broke down between the parties and the client ended up hiring me for full representation. Other clients have subsequently hired me for full representation when it became apparent to them that they did not have the time to manage their legal case on their own.
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