Susie Savvy recently sent an email to attorney Sarah Brandon. Following is her response.
What sort of experience do you have with divorces?
Since 1993, Sarah Brandon has been helping her clients solve issues with divorce and child custody for residents in Williamson, Travis and Hays Counties. This year, Ms. Brandon has been practicing in Bastrop County as well.
How long have you been doing divorce work?
Ms. Bandon has focused on Family Law cases since 1993 which includes divorce cases.
Do you specialize in divorces, or are divorces just a part of your practice?
Ms. Brandon specializes in all Family Law cases including divorces with or without children, and child custody cases. Ms. Brandon also handles modifications of cases involving children, such as a change in child support, change in custody or change in visitation and/or change in conservatorship or custody or terminations of parental rights in certain cases. Ms. Brandon also represents grandparents in their cases. She also represents clients in non-private adoptions, such as grandparent, stepparent or significant others.
How have you handled divorces like mine before?
Although every case is unique, Ms Brandon has been actively involved in a wide variety of cases with every possible combination of conflicts which had adequately prepared her to handle any situations that may arise during your case.
Overall, what percentage of your divorce cases go to trial?
Approximately 25%.
What kind of resources can you make available to me to help me get through my divorce with as little pain as possible?
We will gladly refer you to psychologists, family therapists, forensic accountants, divorce financial specialists, and any other experts/specialists to assist you through this very difficult time.
What can you do to help me understand the tax effect of the decisions I will have to make?
Our firm specializes in matters pertaining to Family Law and as such cannot advise clients on tax issues. We will recommend an accountant or divorce financial assistant for your consideration who is an expert in that field to assist you. You will be responsible for paying any experts with whom you consult.
What is your hourly rate?
During your initial consultation with Ms. Brandon, which is charged at $175 per hour, Ms. Brandon will discuss the retainer required and the hourly rate charged for her services and the serviced of any paralegal assigned to the case.
How are your hourly fees charged? (e.g.by the exact number of minutes or in blocks of 5, 10 or 15 minutes, etc.)
Our firm bills in tenths of an hour.
If you and the associate are working on my case at the same time, am I billed at your combined rates? (Some firms do that only if two attorneys are needed, such as a trial. Others do it routinely, and others only bill you at the higher attorney’s rate.)
You will be billed for all the time spent working on your case by the attorney and any and all paralegals assigned to the case.
Do you charge for the time I spend with other lawyers, with paralegals, and/or with secretaries? If so, at what rate?
You will be billed by each attorney and paralegal in our firm for each service rendered. This will be detailed on the monthly statement with the time spent and applicable resource’s billing rate.
Do you insist that I pay you a retainer up front, or will you allow me to pay you as you render services?
We do require that the entire amount of the retainer specified in the contract between yourself and our firm be paid in full before we commence work on your case.
Do you refund unused retainer fees?
Upon completion of your case, once all required paperwork has been filed and processed, we will be glad to return any remaining balance of your retainer.
What happens when the retainer is used up?
As a general rule, your fees will probably run more than your retainer. Pursuant to the terms of your contract, we may very well ask you to deposit additional sums in advance of additional work being done.
In addition to the fees for your services, what expenses do you expect will be involved (for example, for private investigators, forensic accountants, physicians, and/or psychologists), and how will you charge me for them?
At every trial, there are two things that must be determined: the law and the facts. The judge determines the law; the jury determines the facts. In theory, when the law and the facts are combined, a just result occurs. Experts, such as psychologists, forensic accountants or private investigators, have a unique ability to help the judge determine the facts. An expert can offer an opinion about things he or she had not experienced but has a particular knowledge of through education, training, or experience. You will be responsible paying these experts.
Do you charge for faxes, copies, and long distance phone calls? How much?
You will be expected to pay incidental costs including copies, faxes and long distance phone calls. Our rates are consistent with the costs our firm incurs to provide these services.
Do you have a minimum unit of time you bill me for?
Our firm bills in tenths of an hour.
Will you send me itemized bills on a monthly basis including detail of time spent on the case?
Yes, providing you have supplied us with a valid mailing address.
Will the billing arrangements be set out in writing? (Insist that they be.)
We will not begin work on your case until you sign and return the contract between yourself and our firm and pay the retainer in full as discussed during your initial consultation.
Will you keep me informed each month as to how much of the retainer has been depleted?
You will have a monthly statement mailed to you (providing you have provided us with a valid mailing address) which will detail the work we have done on your case that month. The bill will also include the costs for faxes, postage and any special services such as legal research conducted by a third party associated with out firm, or a process service company. The bill will also reflect the total amount of the bill for that month, and the balance of the retainer still remaining. If you have any questions regarding your statement, please call our office within 10 days of its receipt.
Describe a time line for how you believe my divorce will progress.
At the beginning of a lawsuit, it is difficult to foresee how long the case will take. After it is under way and we understand the issues, we should be better able to gauge the duration. How long it will take depends primarily on the following four factors:
- The number and complexity of contested issues;
- The vehemence of the parties’ feelings and their inclination to settle;
- The court’s calendar. A temporary hearing can usually be scheduled within 10 to 15 days. A full trial, which often takes a day or more, usually must be scheduled 3 months to 5 months in advance;
- The other lawyer. Your lawyer had no control over the other lawyer’s schedule or personality. An extremely busy or uncompromising opposing counsel can prolong your divorce.
How long do you take to return phone calls? How do I get a hold of you if there is an emergency? What do you consider to be an emergency?
Ms. Brandon and the firm’s paralegals will return all phone calls within twenty four (24) hours. Even if Ms. Brandon is in court or in mediation, she will check in with the paralegals to retrieve all messages and will return those she can as time allows. In the event that she is not able to personally return a call within 24 hours, she will instruct one of her paralegals to do so on her behalf.
Will I get copies of all papers (letters, faxes, legal papers) in my case? (Be sure the answer is “yes.”)
As a client, you are assured to receive, in a timely manner, copies of all letters, faxes and legal documents we produce and receive from opposing counsel or opposing parties.
Do you carry malpractice? How much? Have you ever had to make a claim on your malpractice insurance?
Yes, we do carry malpractice insurance and carry adequate coverage commensurate with industry standards. To date, we have not had any reason to file a clam against the firm’s malpractice insurance.
Have you had any clients or former clients file grievances against you with the bar association? If so, please tell me about them?
No, none of our clients, or former clients have filed a grievance against our firm with the Texas Bar Association.
Do you track the satisfaction rate of your clients? How? What is your satisfaction rate?
We do not formally track the satisfaction rate of our clients. However, we do receive many referrals from our former clients.
Do you have the time to take on a new case now?
Our case load varies from week to week and is dependent on the willingness of all parties to reach settlement. We schedule appointments with potential clients whenever we are not preparing for trial or attending mediation or trial. Typically we are able to see potential clients a couple of days every week. In the event that we have a full load and a potential client has a need for urgent legal services, we have a few select attorneys who we are confident to refer potential clients to.
Is there anything else I should know or that you would like to add?
Please make every effort to find alternative arrangements for your children and so not bring them to meetings. It is a good policy not to involve children in the case. We understand that sometimes, when you are dropping by, you may need to have your children with you, but this should only be for brief meetings.
