At Stewart & Riley, we often get this response: “my lawyer spent more time billing me for things that got nothing done in my case.” For example, emails between opposing counsel or staff that had little to not merit. Researching an idea that was never used. Handwriting the documents that have been filed in the court file to date when the lawyer could have simply printed out the docket from the clerk’s website, or saved the docket as a .pdf file to the client’s electronic file.
In other professions, this is what is infamously called “churning.” This can be tempting when a Family Law Lawyer in New Port Richey, Clearwater, or Tampa obtains a retainer upfront of anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 just to start. And if the $5,000 retainer gets down to $2,500 or the $10,000 retainer gets down to $5,000, then it is time for the client to replenish the retainer amount to its initial amount of $5,000 or $10,000 or more.
Family Law is ripe for churning fees when the lawyer could be counseling the client at an emotional time not to engage in litigation that may very well be harmful to the children. When you have children, they sense the most insecure and anxious moments in their parents’ lives, including fighting over parenting time, child support, or parenting responsibility or decision making when these things should be agreed to by the parties. You the clients are the people who should control your own destiny and mediating your case does not have to be expensive. There are extremely experienced and effective mediator who are willing to charge a minimum of 3 hours, no time for travel at $200 per hour to be split by the parties. Hence, each client is simply paying $300 for a top-notch mediator. In Pasco, Hernando, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Cases, Stewart & Riley prefers to use James E. Kelly, Esq. who has shown time and time again how to bring about a fair outcome for the parties involved.
We pride ourselves in resolving a great majority of our cases on a fair, flat fee and at or before mediation.
What we would like to encourage here at Stewart & Riley is that divorcing parties, particularly with children, reduce and mitigate whatever financial, emotional and physical stress is involved in a dissolution of marriage proceeding or a petition for paternity action. A divorce proceeding in New Port Richey, Florida is not that much different than one in Tampa, Florida. Why? Because Judges know the law and know that if parties can bring a resolution to their own case through mediation or private agreement without mediation, they are better off. Who prefers that the government (yes, a Judge is a government employee) tell us how to live, when to do things, what to pay, what not to do, etc.? Not any client that I have me. So thankfully, we are able to come to pre-trial agreements whenever possible in dissolution of marriage proceedings, modification of parenting plans, petition to modify child support, and other family issues.
Do not let Courts dictate your life and raise your children; we are all better than that. If we can be of assistance, please call us at 727-312-3748. If you make an appointment with us and would like to know what papers would be useful, you may want to look here.