Frequently Asked Questions Can I do it myself? Of course. Non-profits, the courts, and the legal profession in Montana have made a lot of great forms available for free. The forms are pretty straigntforward. If you have ever done your own taxes, you can probably handle filling out the forms. On the other hand, many people hire a lawyer because there is a lot more to a family law matter than filling out forms. An experienced family lawyer can help you think about the consequences of the choices you make on the forms. The changes you are facing now may not end with the court order. What happens if someone moves? How do you enforce an agreement when the other side doesn't want to cooperate? A lawyer can help you think about these problems before they happen to minimize heartache and heartburn down the road. Whether you choose to do it yourself or hire a lawyer to do the work for you, we can help. Our reasonable rates and retainers help you afford the peace of mind that comes with having an experienced professional review and handle every aspect of your case. On the other hand, you could hire us to handle just a part of your case, like a child support calculation. We can even review your do-it-yourself forms. First Meeting Frequently Asked Questions How much does it cost? Not surprisingly, this is often the first question that comes to the mind of clients when they ask about the first appointment. Every law firm is different. In Western Montana, most family law attorneys do charge for the first meeting, especially if they provide legal advice at that session. At our firm, we charge our standard hourly rate, and we are confident you’ll find the meeting to be very helpful and well worth the fee. Most first meetings take less than an hour, and the consultation fee will be prorated according to the actual amount of time we spend discussing your case. If you will be meeting us in person, please come to the meeting prepared to pay the initial consultation fee as soon as the meeting is over. If you live outside of Helena, we can “meet” over the telephone; however, we require advance payment of at least one hour of consultation time, calculated at the hourly rate that applies to your case. All fees may be paid by cash, checks, money orders, or credit cards, so long as the fee is paid after the session (in the case of in-person consultations) or received before the session (in the case of telephone consultations). What if the session doesn't help? Although we can’t predict the future of an inherently unpredictable legal case, we believe we will be able to provide valuable advice and perhaps answers to some of your most important legal questions. If you are not satisfied with your initial consultation, let us know at the end of the session, and we will reduce your bill for the session by 50%. What do I need to know beforehand? Please see our client intake form for an overview of the information we’ll want to know from you. The more answers you have for us, the more we will be able to help you. Remember that the first meeting may last up to an hour, and you’ll need to pay in advance (for telephone consultations) or at the time of the meeting (for face to face discussions). You should know that our office isn’t really suitable for children. I have a list of drop-off daycares, mobile nannies, etc., if you can’t think of anyone who could watch your children for you. You are welcome to bring an adult friend or family member, but if he or she sits in on the consultation, your privacy or confidentiality rights may be affected. Am I obligated? The fact that we meet does not obligate either of us to proceed further with the relationship. Until we have both signed a fee agreement, neither of us is bound to do anything further. What should I bring? Before we go into the first session, you will need to fill out a client intake form. You can either fill out the form in the waiting room or come to the meeting with the form already completed. You should bring as much information as you can and have it organized as well as you can. If possible, bring copies of any documents you think would help explain your case. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the information below. Just do the best you can. If possible, bring information about or copies of: NOTE: NONE OF THIS INFORMATION IS REQUIRED AT THE FIRST MEETING, BUT YOU MAY EVENTUALLY NEED ALL OR MOST OF THIS INFORMATION, SO YOU SHOULD BEGIN COLLECTING IT NOW Your income tax returns for the last 3 years (especially the most recent one) Your actual income (an estimate or the 3 pay stubs) Your spouse's income (an estimate or actual documentation of it) Other household income Court or other legal paperwork Agreements and contracts Savings & checking account information, account numbers, name of bank, and whose names they are in Information on any other investments including retirement accounts, pensions, or stocks & bonds Real Estate holdings - purchase date, purchase price, mortgage balance, current value Information about motor vehicles and other assets individually worth more than $500. Current market value and equity (the difference between what it’s worth and what you owe) are the most important things to know. Debts - list all money owed, to whom, account numbers, when they were incurred, when they are due, whose name are they in Health insurance costs for all family members Your children’s school(s) or daycare(s) and costs Educational and employment background of you and your spouse. List any special skills and/or potential employment. A statement of assets and liabilities What will happen when I arrive? If your consultation is in person, you will be given a client intake form to fill out if you haven’t already done so. The attorney assisting you will review your completed form to become familiar with the case. We will discuss your domestic relations case with you privately to confirm the information provided on the intake form and determine what needs to be done. You will receive a copy of our standard fee agreement, and we will discuss it with you to ensure it makes sense. You will have a chance to ask an attorney about your questions, and the attorney will do his or her best to answer them. You will pay the consultation fee, and we will discuss whether or not we are a good fit for each other. We’ll talk about when we might hear from each other again, and you will hopefully feel much better about your family law matter than you did before the meeting.