Intake Process
Because we are a busy office, we have created a process that allows us to respond to potential clients' needs quickly and efficiently. We cannot provide legal assistance or give legal advice based on a phone call. Instead, we have created a process that allows us to get information from you about your potential claims. We use this information to decide whether or not we can help you. All of the information you provide to us -- whether in writing or verbally -- is kept strictly confidential.
Submitting an Intake Form
First, we offer a questionnaire below that allows you to describe your situation. Please fill out the form below to begin the intake process.
Why do we have an intake form?
Your answers will help us understand what legal rights or duties may be involved. The questionnaire is designed to be very general, so not all parts of the questionnaire will apply to your situation. If something does not apply, just write "N/A". There may also be instances where you do not know something we ask about on the form. If that is the case, just tell us you do not know.
We realize the form is lengthy and it may seem difficult to fill out, but we are going to have to get the information from you eventually anyway if we are going to be able to help you. Using the form speeds up the process in two ways. First, it allows us to respond to potential clients more quickly, because we do not have to spend an hour or more on the phone taking down the information. Second, if we meet with you in person, having the form completed first allows us to get past the background information to the heart of your problem. That saves us time and saves you money.
What happens next?
Next, we will review the questionnaire. If it appears that this is a problem where we think we can help you, we will contact you to arrange for an in person appointment with an attorney. (If -- based on the questionnaire -- we do not feel that you have a problem where we can be helpful, we will tell you, and we will not arrange for a consultation.) If we meet with you in person, then by the end of the appointment we will be able to assess your situation, and we will explain your options from a legal viewpoint.
Finally, if at the end of the appointment we still believe we can be of assistance, and if you want to hire us to represent you, then we would enter into a written retainer agreement, where you hire us to act as your attorneys for this particular matter. Our retainer agreements vary depending on the individual's circumstances. For example, some individuals hire us to assist them in negotiations. Others hire us to file lawsuits against their employers. Our retainer agreements require the client to make some financial commitment to the case.
By providing this questionnaire, we are NOT agreeing to represent you or to be your attorneys. This is a preliminary inquiry to enable us to make a solid evaluation of your facts and a determination of whether we will represent you in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to fill out the questionnaire. We look forward to hearing from you.