Q. What are your fees?
A. My fees depend upon how much time and effort will be needed to bring your matter to conclusion. If you’d like a very general “ballpark estimate” of the fee, please call me. I will try to give you an idea of what your case might cost based on the kind of case it is and the kind of issues we anticipate will be involved. I can be much more accurate in my estimate once we’ve had a detailed consultation and I have a complete understanding of the issues your case presents.
I make every effort to help my clients keep their legal costs down by making cost-effective choices as to how we will handle the case, and by encouraging them to do as much “legwork” as possible to save on my time and its cost. I am meticulously honest in my billing practices. During our consultation, we will discuss the fee in detail. Should you decide to retain me as your lawyer, we will have a written fee agreement clearly outlining all of the terms of the fee.
Q. Do you have time to take on new cases?
A. At the present time, I am able to accept new business and to provide new clients with rapid and careful responses to their legal needs. Unlike many lawyers who have too many clients and are unable to promptly return phone calls, prepare paperwork, or otherwise “take care of business,” I only take as many cases as I can comfortably handle, so that each client can count on reaching me when they need to, and on my doing what needs to be done quickly and well. I generally return all phone calls on the same day as they are received.
Q. Are you an aggressive lawyer?
A. I prefer the word “assertive” rather than “aggressive” to describe my approach to practicing family law. In most cases, it is in the best interests of my clients, and in particular of their children and families, to resolve matters amicably and co-operatively. Fortunately, most high-quality family lawyers share this view. If the attorney for the other party takes a hostile, confrontational or under-handed approach to the case, I can and will respond as a zealous advocate for my client.
Q. Do you practice in counties other than Wayne County?
A. Yes. I routinely practice in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and occasionally in other counties as well. Although my office is located in downtown Detroit near the courts, I often meet my Oakland County clients at a law office in Royal Oak. Except for the initial consultation, most of my contacts with clients are by phone, e-mail and/or fax, so that the location of my office is not an obstacle to my assisting clients who live elsewhere. Even the initial consultation can be done by phone, especially where the client lives out of the state or country, although an in-person meeting is preferable when possible.
Q. Do you charge for the initial consultation?
A. Yes. I charge a flat fee for however long we will need to talk. The amount of the consultation fee depends upon the kind of case you have (i.e. divorce, child support, parenting time, etc.). Although some lawyers do not charge for the first meeting, it has been my observation that those lawyers tend not to spend much time with the clients, who often leave the interview not knowing much more about their legal situation than they did when they walked into the lawyer’s office! I believe it is important at the beginning of the case that we take our time, so that I can be sure I understand your situation, have explained the legal process and what you can expect to occur, and answer all of your questions in detail. I am very thorough in these interviews. Without exception, my clients express satisfaction that the cost of the consultation was money well spent. 
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