I am often asked to explain what our "unbundled legal services," and whether I provide them. The short answer is that you hire an attorney – in a limited scope representation – to handle a discrete portion of the legal problem that you are facing. Generally, instead of hiring an attorney to represent you out right, you hire the attorney for a limited purpose, and you – and the attorney – decide what scope of representation is appropriate for you. Also, I do provide limited scope representation services for the right persons.
A better term for "unbundled legal services" would be "limited scope representation." Such representation can range from consulting with an attorney about your case, your options, and how to present yourself in court to reviewing forms that you have prepared for self or drafting a specific document, such as an answer to a complaint or discovery responses.
Most often, I think that you would hire the attorney on an hourly basis to consult about your case. However, that may not be the most appropriate thing for you to do, depending on your situation. For example, if you owe money to a credit card, that credit card may sue you – and you would have 20 days to file a formal document called an "Answer."
When a person calls and asks how much I would charge to draft an answer (by the way, I never quote prices over the telephone), I like to ask a little bit more about their situation. Sometimes, if the person is carrying a large debt load, then the appropriate action for the person to take is to file for bankruptcy. Depending on the debt load, I might suggest that it is more appropriate to negotiate a settlement with the credit card company. Sometimes, depending on the individual, the appropriate response might be to do nothing.
I tend to think that limited scope representation can save money in the short term, but is fraught with peril and can cost you a lot in the long term. For more information about whether limited scope representation is appropriate for you, and whether I can help you, please call me at (763) 450-9494. I would much rather have you meet with me now, then to have to hire me much later to solve a massive problem that could have been prevented.
WARNING: The information contained in this blog post does not constitute legal advice and may not be applicable to your situation. Tim is licensed to practice law only in Minnesota, and the information contained in this blog post may not apply to jurisdictions outside of Minnesota. Further, reading this blog post does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Baland Law Office, P.L.L.C. You should always discuss your situation with an attorney before taking any action based on what you may read in this blog. To that end, please call (763) 450-9494 to set up an appointment to discuss your situation.
A better term for "unbundled legal services" would be "limited scope representation." Such representation can range from consulting with an attorney about your case, your options, and how to present yourself in court to reviewing forms that you have prepared for self or drafting a specific document, such as an answer to a complaint or discovery responses.
Most often, I think that you would hire the attorney on an hourly basis to consult about your case. However, that may not be the most appropriate thing for you to do, depending on your situation. For example, if you owe money to a credit card, that credit card may sue you – and you would have 20 days to file a formal document called an "Answer."
When a person calls and asks how much I would charge to draft an answer (by the way, I never quote prices over the telephone), I like to ask a little bit more about their situation. Sometimes, if the person is carrying a large debt load, then the appropriate action for the person to take is to file for bankruptcy. Depending on the debt load, I might suggest that it is more appropriate to negotiate a settlement with the credit card company. Sometimes, depending on the individual, the appropriate response might be to do nothing.
I tend to think that limited scope representation can save money in the short term, but is fraught with peril and can cost you a lot in the long term. For more information about whether limited scope representation is appropriate for you, and whether I can help you, please call me at (763) 450-9494. I would much rather have you meet with me now, then to have to hire me much later to solve a massive problem that could have been prevented.
WARNING: The information contained in this blog post does not constitute legal advice and may not be applicable to your situation. Tim is licensed to practice law only in Minnesota, and the information contained in this blog post may not apply to jurisdictions outside of Minnesota. Further, reading this blog post does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Baland Law Office, P.L.L.C. You should always discuss your situation with an attorney before taking any action based on what you may read in this blog. To that end, please call (763) 450-9494 to set up an appointment to discuss your situation.
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