Please review the helpful resources below for new clients regarding estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and federal & state laws.
A FEW NOTES FOR NEW CLIENTS
Before meeting with you in person, I’d like to spend a few minutes talking with you by phone or via email.
This gives me the chance to get to know you and learn a little bit more about your family and your wishes.
During this initial call, I’ll determine if we would work well together as attorney and client.
If we make a mutual decisions to enter an attorney-client relationship, we’ll talk about how to move forward with next steps.
You may be asked to sign an attorney-client engagement letter detailing the scope of my representation of you, and the fees and expenses you can expect to pay.
THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE
All information you provide to me as part of my representation of you is private and confidential. It is protected by the attorney-client privilege.
During our work together, you may leave voice messages, send texts or email messages. All of these are password protected, and no one has the ability to review these message but me.
Files sent to you electronically are protected by a password that you provide. If you are unable to open a password protected file, please contact me right away and I will assist you in accessing the document.
Some of my clients request that additional family members be present during our conversations. This is your decision to make, however, please keep in mind that I cannot protect the confidentiality of information you share in the presence of others.
Any information you wish to communicate to me confidentially should be discussed privately.
UNDERSTANDING ATTORNEY FEES
Attorneys bill for their services in many different ways. Price shopping for legal services, such as the preparation of a living trust, is a tricky process. It's difficult for an attorney to estimate fees without a thorough initial consultation with the proposed client. In addition, some attorneys bill hourly and include out-of-pocket expenses such as travel costs, postage and more, while others bill on a flat fee basis, setting the cost for the entire project in advance.
In my practice, clients can expect to discuss fees with me at the initial consultation. Depending on the nature of the project, the fees may be fixed or hourly, or a combination of the two. New clients should expect to sign an engagement letter that describes the project and sets forth the method for determing fees.
Before hiring an attorney, you may wish to review the 16 page document, A Practical Guide to Hiring a Lawyer, published by the State Bar of Michigan.
Jo Anne Hinds loves sharing her knowledge of the law with others. She is an engaging public speaker and offers seminars about trusts through various adult and community education venues, such as Holt Public Schools, Grand Ledge Public Schools, Lansing Community College and more.
LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER FOR A LOCAL EVENT?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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