What Can An Attorney Do For Me?

What Are Limited Legal Services?

At Rusz Legal Services we aim to provide the level of service that is right for your case and for your budget. If your case does not require a Full Service Representation or if you are on a budget, Limited (or Unbundled) Legal Services may be right for you. With the Limited Representation packages you and your attorney work as a team to decide what your attorney does for you and what you can do on your own. Read below for more information about Legal Coaching, Document Preparation, and Limited In-Court Representation. These are some of the areas of your case where Limited Representation from an attorney can help you get to where you need to be in your case.

What If You Need More Help?

At some point in the beginning, middle, or even near the end of your case you may find that you need more than Limited Services. In cases with complex issues or in highly contentious cases, you may need Full Service Representation or Limited In-Court Representation. Read below for more information about this option.

More About Legal Coaching And Document Assistance

Legal coaching and document assistance is the lowest cost service that we offer at Rusz Legal Services, but it is also one of the most valuable for self-represented litigants. No matter where you are in your case we can sit down with you for one or more hours, help you find and complete family law forms, answer your questions about what you may be required to do in your case, and help you plan for your next steps.

One hour with an attorney providing Legal Coaching and Document Assistance can get you through the first steps in your case for a fraction of the cost.

Your case may not require a Full Service attorney, or you may not be able to afford a Full Service attorney. Legal Coaching and Document Assistance, particularly in the beginning stages of custody and divorce, can get your first steps complete, and give you the information you need to go forward with confidence in your case.

Some examples of how you can use Legal Coaching and Document Assistance are:

• For and uncontested divorce – to get help filing your initial pleadings and learn what steps you need to take to get to a finalized divorce.
• For a Motion to Modify Custody – get help completing your Motion and learn about what you need to prove to prevail and get the modification you are asking for.
• If you’ve already filed your Complaint, Motion, or Answer – find out what to expect and how to prepare for a scheduling conference or settlement conference and learn about the discovery process.
• If you’ve received a Complaint, Motion, or Discovery Requests from an opposing party – get help completing your answer(s) and learn about what the law requires of you.

These are just a few of the circumstances that may come up as you represent yourself in a family law case. Many clients successfully represent themselves all the way through their case with just few sessions of Legal Coaching to help them along the way. The cost of handling your case this way is a fraction of the cost to hire an attorney for full representation.

What if the case changes and you need more than just advice? Read on to learn about other unbundled and full service options. You can always increase your level of service as needed.

More About Document Preparation

Document Preparation can be useful if you are representing yourself because an attorney can make sure that your pleadings or other documents say what you want them to say but also that they comply with all of the applicable rules and requirements.

Having an attorney draft important documents like a Complaint, Separation Agreement, or Discovery Requests provides you with peace of mind in your case.

Handling your case can be infinitely easier with just a little help from an attorney. Having a lawyer draft important documents in your case while you handle tasks like receiving mail, keep documents organized, and filing documents with the clerk can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your case and not have a negative impact on the outcome.

Some examples of documents that you can have an attorney draft for you in your case are:

• Complaint or Motion to Modify
• Answer or Counter-Complaint/Motion
• Discovery Requests or Responses
• Financial Statements
• Statement of Marital and Non-Marital Property
• Separation or Settlement Agreements

In addition to these common documents in family law cases, you may need to file or respond to Motions to Compel, Motions for or to Vacate an Order of Default, or one of many other less common motions. An attorney providing Unbundled Services can help you through these steps in your case without the need to hire a Full Service attorney.

More About Limited In-Court Representation

Limited In- Court Representation is a flat fee service that provides you with an attorney who will enter their appearance in your case for the purpose of handling a specific part or issue in your case.

If Full Service Representation is not in your budget, Limited In-Court Representation will give you an attorney to handle the most important aspect of your case, like your hearing, trial, or settlement negotiations.

Limited In-Court Representation is not the same as Full Service Representation, as there are many things an attorney can do for you in a Full Service Representation during the course of a case that will better prepare your case for trial. However if you have a short case like Contempt or Protective Order, or if your budget does not allow for the cost of a Full Service Representation, this may be a great option for you.

When you hire a Rusz Legal Services Attorney for a Limited In-Court Representation you can rest assured that the issue or hearing we are handling will be dealt with in an efficient, professional, and caring manner.

After discussion with an attorney your fee agreement will outline exactly what services are included in the Limited In-Court Representation. For example, if we are hired to represent you at a PL (temporary) hearing the following items might be included:

• Limited entry of appearance
• Preparation for court date or issue to include
  • Conference with client
  • Communication with witnesses (subpoenas if time permits)
  • Reviewing any documents already provided in discovery
  • Preparing questions, arguments, and exhibits
  • Drafting of any documents necessary for hearing
• Settlement discussions with opposing counsel if appropriate
• Attendance at hearing

Your fee agreement would also specify items that will not be included in your Limited In-Court Representation like, in the case of PL hearing:

• Preparation of any documents not required for the hearing
• Discovery responses or requests
• Advice on any matters outside the scope of the hearing
• Communication with opposing counsel or the court about other matters

Limited In-Court Representation is a good option if you have a case with limited issues, or you simply do not have the budget for a Full Service Representation and still want to have an attorney for a critical phase of your case.

More About Full Service Representation

Full Service Representation, or “Full Rep” is what most people think of when the think about hiring an attorney. In a Full Rep case your attorney will enter their appearance in your case and they will handle all correspondence with the court, all scheduling issues, all pleadings and motions, all communications with the opposing party or attorney, and anything else that may arise as you go through your case.

If you have complex issues in your family law case, if your case is very contentious, or if you are working and do not have time to handle things on your own then full representation may be right for you.

You will always be an important part of your family law case. Your Full Rep attorney will take care of the legal and administrative aspects of your case, and contact you when we need to gather facts and information to prepare your case, or when it is time to make decisions about settlement, and other vital aspects of your case. With a Full Rep attorney you can be comfortable in the knowledge that your case is being monitored, prepared, and taken care of while you attend to the job of daily life and care for yourself and your children.

In a Full Rep case you will pay a “retainer” fee up front which will be held in an Attorney Trust Account. This money belongs to you until we do the work to earn it. In the course of your Full Service Representation we will bill against your retainer as we complete work on your case. If or when your retainer funds are depleted you will make another payment into your retainer and so on. Rusz Legal Services also provides payment plans on some cases so that instead of making lump sum payments to your retainer you can make regular smaller payments to keep funds in your retainer for the litigation of your case.