Consultation

"A lawyer's time and advice are his stock in trade" - Abraham Lincoln

Depending upon your needs, we offer three different consultation options.

1. The first option is provided to active duty military personnel, firemen/firewomen, and police officers. We offer a free initial consultation during which time you may discuss the specifics of your case. We will also discuss the family law process, office policies and fees. This consultation will be conducted in person if you are stationed in the metropolitan New York area. A free initial consultation may be conducted by telephone or by email during normal business hours if you are serving in an out-of-state location. This consultation will last approximately 30 minutes. If you are eligible for this type of appointment, you will need to fax, mail, or email a copy of your military ID or other proof of your active duty status prior to the appointment. The free initial consultation is applicable only for the family law issues of the service/fire/police members and does not extend to the spouse or other family members of the service member.

2. The second option is a paid consultation. The fee is $200 and the appointment generally lasts about 1 - 1 ½ hours. During this type of consultation, we will be entering into a confidential attorney client relationship. As such, you are permitted to discuss any of the confidential aspects of your situation and we will give you specific legal advice. You are free to bring in any documents, including tax returns, pay stubs, statements showing marital assets or debts, prior orders of court, etc., that you wish for us to review. We will also discuss the New York family law process and our office policies and legal fees with you. If you elect this option, our office will not take on representation of the opposing party in your legal matter even if we are not retained for additional services beyond the paid consultation. A paid consultation may be conducted by telephone or in person at the office during normal business hours. If, at the conclusion of your paid consultation, you elect to retain our offices for your additional legal needs and pay your retainer on the day of the paid consultation, you may be eligible for a discount in the consultation fee.

3. The third option is a retained client consultation. This type of appointment is for individuals who know that they wish to retain our firm's service on the day of the appointment and wish for us to immediately begin work on their case. We will be entering into a confidential attorney-client relationship and you are permitted to discuss any of the confidential aspects of your situation. You are free to bring in any documents, including tax returns, pay stubs, statements showing marital assets or debts, prior orders of court, etc., that you wish for us to review. We will also discuss the family law process and our office policies and legal fees with you. At a retained client consultation, we will discuss the specific facts of your case and form an initial strategy regarding the future your family law issue.

If you elect options 2 or 3, you will receive a fee agreement letter that will be given to you at the time of your appointment. If you wish our office to provide you with services beyond your initial consultation, you will be required to sign the fee agreement letter and return it to our office in person on the day of the appointment or thereafter, by mail, or fax along with the retainer requested by our office. A retainer is an amount of money paid in advance by a client to our office for the legal services that the client wishes our firm to perform on his or her behalf. Our firm has minimum retainer amounts that are required to be paid in order for us to accept a case. Please be advised that the specific amount of each client's retainer may vary and will only be determined at the time of the consultation.