How is our family law firm different??
Clients who come to us, after using larger law firms, often complain that those bigger law firms seem to be more focused on generating fees, than providing effective and efficient representation. They tell us stories of enduring too many long, in-person interviews and meetings with various staff members (which they are charged for); being provided, and billed for, detailed written information about Texas Property Law, most of which does not even apply to the facts of their own case; vast amounts of discovery requests (such as oral depositions and subpoenas of non-parties) being generated and billed for) at the beginning of the case—instead of first narrowing the case to determine if formal discovery is needed or desirable; and if so, which forms of discovery would work best for your case. We have even experienced firms that will continue litigating a case after it has become obvious that their claims stand little-to-no chance of prevailing. They continue to litigate simply to generate attorney’s fees. Each and all of those activities leave clients believing that the practice of law is about earning money for legal professionals
While our firm does, indeed, seek to generate fees, we come at it entirely differently. Having practiced in DFW since 1989, the overwhelming majority of our clients come to us by referral—either from our prior (or current) clients; or, from other attorneys who do not practice Family Law; at least not highly adversarial Family Law cases. Why is that? Well, we know that providing quality representation is important; but so is doing it an efficient and effective manner.
So, rather than starting-off with an in-person consultation, that our clients would be billed for, we, instead, offer free 30-minute initial consultations over the phone. Next, when our clients hire us, instead of having oral conversations with our clients (in order to obtain basic case information), we, instead, send secure links to a portal, where our clients are prompted to enter information about themselves, their families, and their property (if applicable) directly into our system We can retrieve that information as needed; and, in significantly less time than it would take to gather that information through a conversation.
After retrieving that information, we discuss case options (such as, e.g., whether we need to prepare, and send, discovery requests to another party, or a non-party; whether we want to request temporary relief (such as Temporary Custody and Support Orders) from the court; and so on. Sometimes those items are desirable, and at other times, they are not. The point is that case activities are planned, so that costs and benefits can be analyzed, considered, and decided upon.
Finally, we bill in 1/10 hour increments, rather than the traditional quarter-hour increments. Also, we will aggregate brief emails together (which are sent back-and forth in a brief conversation), and make just one charge for the bunch, rather than charging for each email sent or received. I don’t like being nickel–and-dimed as a consumer; and so, we work to avoid doing that as legal professionals.
As of yesterday, our law firm appeared in spot #28 of a search for local attorneys. That ranking not likely to generate new clients. And, yet we stay busy. Referrals are the key to our practice thriving. We know that, respect it, and work to earn those referrals
Thank you for taking the time to read this piece!
My best,
David