FAQs

1.  How do I know if I need to hire a lawyer?

You probably need to a hire a lawyer if any of the following is true:

Litigation (lawsuits):

  • You’ve been sued or someone has threatened to sue you;
  • You’re a party to a written or oral contract or other agreement, and you or another party has violated the terms of the agreement; or
  • You feel that you have suffered an injustice and suspect that the conduct in question may be illegal.

Transactional (contracts and other agreements):

  • You need an agreement to be drafted or fulfilled; or
  • You’re undertaking or leaving an endeavor, such as buying or selling a home or entering or leaving a business venture.

Wills, trusts, and estate planning:

  • You wish to name guardians for your children; protect your assets; plan for the transition upon the death of you or your spouse; or plan for your (or your parents’) senior years; or
  • You wish to engage in prenuptial, post-nuptial, and divorce planning.

Probate, estate administration, and trust administration:

  • There’s a death of a family member;
  • You want to protect your rights as a beneficiary of an estate or a trust; or
  • You were nominated to administer an estate or a trust and need guidance on what to do.

2.  How do I know if your firm handles my type of legal matter?

The types of legal matters that we handle are broadly stated in the Practice Areas pages on this website.  We have a broad-based civil practice, so, with some exceptions, we handle virtually all types of non-criminal matters.  If we do not handle your legal matter personally, we will be glad to refer you to another lawyer in the community who practices in the area of law in which you need assistance.

3.  Why should I choose to hire your law firm?

  • We are AV-rated, which is the highest rating available by our peers on the Martindale-Hubbell rating system, the most-widely recognized independent attorney rating service.
  • Lawyers in our firm are accomplished: we have published legal articles in scholarly journals, we have spoken at legal seminars, and we attend continuing legal education courses to remain at the forefront of the areas in which we practice.
  • We value quality over quantity.  We are not a volume-based practice.  Each client receives individualized service.
  • Within our practice areas, we offer our clients knowledge and experience comparable to that of attorneys in large law firms, but often at a lower cost.
  • Our perspective is to put our clients’ needs first—we develop long-term relationships with our clients.  We want to be “your lawyer.”
  • We’re accessible and prompt.  You will remain informed about your case or matter every step of the way.

4.  What is the cost of an initial consultation?

We encourage clients to call our office and provide an outline of the issues to our experienced staff.  They will ask appropriate questions.  We will then provide information on the cost of an initial consultation (either in that first phone call or by return phone call), which will be applied against the services provided to the client.

5.  Why do we not provide free consultations for everyone? 

There are two reasons, one is philosophical and the other is financial. First, we provide our potential clients with our undivided attention and energy. If the consultation were free, then it would necessarily have to be brief, and we wouldn’t be able to prepare for the consultation and provide a complete analysis.

Second, if we routinely provided free consultations, then we would have to charge higher rates to our clients to make up for it. It seems inappropriate to us to have our clients pay a higher rate in order to pay for the time spent on free consultations.

6.  What is your hourly rate? 

Our typical billing rates vary from $350.00 to $500.00 per hour, depending on multiple factors. Initial consultations are generally scheduled for 0.5-1.0 hour, depending on the complexity of the matter.

7.  Do I have to come into your office for the consultation?

We prefer to meet our clients in person, but that isn’t always practical.  Therefore, consultations can be conducted over the phone or by zoom, with important documents provided in advance.

8.  How do I schedule an initial consultation?

Simply call our office and explain that you want to schedule an initial consultation.  One of our assistants will schedule an appointment with an attorney who is best-suited to handle your specific matter.

9.  What type of fee arrangements does your firm offer?

Depending on the type of matter, we offer hourly, contingency, mixed hourly-contingency, and flat fee arrangements.  We have found that each type of arrangement is best suited to different types of matters.  Most matters are handled from start to finish on an hourly fee basis.  Certain matters (most commonly residential real estate and basic estate planning) are handled on a flat fee basis.  Some matters are handled on a contingency fee basis (most commonly routine commercial collections matters, actions to recover unpaid wages or for employment discrimination, personal injury and medical malpractice matters, as well as some types of insurance claims).

10.  How do I retain your law firm to handle my legal matter?

Call us at 954-764-6766 to inform us of your issue and to schedule an initial consultation.  We will enter into a written Agreement for Services and Representation establishing the terms of representation for any contested matter between you and another person.  Although matters discussed with us are confidential, an attorney-client relationship is not established until: (i) the Agreement is signed (for litigation matters) or we inform you (on all other matters) that we are representing you; and (ii) you have provided any initial retainer on which we have mutually agreed.


Golden Law