FAQ – Case Review: To Pay Or Not to Pay? 

As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”  A “free” legal discussion is just that: free. You pay nothing and so in a sense, you get nothing or — at best — something of little consequence for the lawyer. In fact, until he is retained, the attorney has no “skin in the game” and will likely “reserve the right” to update his or her evaluation upon being retained.

Translation?

The lawyer is really saying to you: “Look, we can talk for free, but don’t rely on what I say until I’m actually paid to review the case in great detail.”

This is only fair. A lawyer takes a risk every time she gives advice. Lawyers pay for professional liability insurance and don’t want to use it. If sued, the lawyer’s liability insurance carrier will often make him pay a hefty deductible anywhere from 10K up to $25K!  Every conversation with a client or potential client carries risk.  It’s no wonder that anxiety is so common in the legal profession!  

So don’t expect an attorney to go “out on a limb” during a “free consultation.” 

But you, as the client, don’t want to pay needlessly or “break the bank” either, by paying more for “advice” than what the case is really worth.

For this reason, our lawyers offer a solution. 

 

An Option That Makes Sense 

We provide a reduced-rate — but detailed — consultation for only $200. You can speak with the client for up to an hour.  During that time, we also review documents related to the matter.  We perform these consultations in the following areas of law: include: 

• • • Small claims court proceedings, 
    • Defense of lawsuits for the non-payment of credit card debt or other borrowed amount,
    • Noncompete agreement litigation matters (click here), we review and the defense of claims (or threatened claims) by employers to restrain an employee from working elsewhere. Here, we look for low-cost options short of defending a case on the docket to work out the dispute,   
    • Trade secret claims and defenses. Here again, we present all options, such as presenting the former employer and affidavit and other assurances that no “trade secret” is being shared with a new employer, 
    • Nondisclosure agreement matters related to a non-disclosure agreement (or NDA), 
    • Home improvement or commercial construction disputes for shoddy or incomplete work by a contractor or builder, and,  
    • Local Counsel Engagements. This involves the need for local counsel or whether one of our lawyers can move to admit another lawyer outside of PA for admission in Pennsylvania pro hac vice.       

 

The One Exception 

The one exception involves cases handle on a contingency fee, such as personal injury.  There, the profit margin for lawyers is high, which motivates the lawyer to get up to speed early in your matter. There, your lawyer has the incentive to think hard during the “free consultation” to try to impress you enough to hire him to handle the case for the long run. 

So for example, if you are injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a car, truck, or you riding a bicycle, our lawyers will perform a detailed review of your case for free.  For no fee, we’ll explain all your rights, such as whether the concept of “limited tort” applies to limit your claim for damages and whether any limited tort exception applies, to allow you to recover money for pain and suffering. 

For more about legal fees, click here.  

 

Let’s Get Started! 

Contact a counselor at law at our firm for any matter in Western PA.

412.342.0992

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