From the first call to the last hearing

Five stages. Most cases end before the last one.

Step 1: A first call
Tell us who the other side is and what happened. We check for conflicts before you share any details.
Step 2: The documents
You send the contract, the emails and any papers you were served. A lawyer reads them and calls with a first view and the deadlines that matter.
Step 3: The binder and the plan
In the first month we build the case binder: the key documents, a timeline, the claims and defenses, and a budget for each phase.
Step 4: Pleadings, discovery, mediation
Most cases are decided here. We file or answer, trade documents, take depositions and, when the numbers make sense, settle at mediation.
Step 5: Trial or arbitration
If it doesn't settle, the binder becomes the trial notebook. You'll know what each day of the hearing costs before it starts.

What a case costs

Hourly, by phase
Most cases are billed by the hour, with a written estimate for each phase before it starts and an itemized invoice every month.
A retainer in trust
Hourly cases start with a retainer held in our trust account and drawn against as the work is done.
Contingency for some claims
For some claims to recover money, we can work for a share of the recovery instead. You may still owe case costs, such as filing fees, court reporters and experts, as the written agreement sets out.

It's a conversation about whether we're the right firm and what the next deadline is. Nothing is billed until you sign an engagement letter.