How can I find a family attorney who will accept payments instead of the whole retainer?

4 Comments

1. pinkdragonfly_27 says:

   January 10, 2008 at 12:26 pm

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   Well first off go to google or yellowpages.com look up lawyers in your zip code, then call them ask them if they deal with child support cases & if they accept payment on the cost, explain your situation and talk to them about it. They will tell you what their policy is with payment or if they need a deposit or whatever. I hope this helps. Call a few and get prices, ya know shop around for the best fee. I hope this helps
2. lillllbit says:

   January 10, 2008 at 1:07 pm

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   No. Do not call them up and ask them if they accept payments. Take advantage of the free consultations most attorneys offer. Call their office and ask if they give free consultations. If they do, request an appointment. Do not go into detail with a secretary or an assistant at this time. Just give a general description of your problem (a custody issue, a child support issue, a divorce, whatever….). Keep your appointment with the attorney and go in and discuss your problem and if he can help you, what he can do for you. Don’t mention at the outset that you can’t pay him right away. The last topic covered will probably be his fee. At this time you can explain that you cannot pay his entire fee up front and ask if he’s amenable to working out a payment plan. Don’t walk in completely empty-handed and expect him to work with you. You should have at least a few hundred dollars to offer him, up front, in good faith, to start your case. You should also be gainfully employed and have a steady income. At this point, the attorney is basically assessing whether you are a good risk to loan money to. Some attorneys will even accept personal property, cars, car titles, and property deeds as security for their fees.

   In this economy even attorneys are starting to realize that if they want to keep bringing in any money at all, they are going to have to start being more flexible about setting up payment plans with their clients than they have been in the past.

   The attorney may not accept your proposal but at least you’ll have picked his brain for free. Now move on to the next one until you can find one who will work with you. Good luck.

   P.S.- if you are needing to sue for child support, contact the Child Support Division of your state’s Attorney General office. That doesn’t cost you a dime!
3. Sean :) says:

   January 10, 2008 at 6:12 pm

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   At least up here in New Jersey, you wouldn’t be able to do that-it’s not only against the Rules of Professional Conduct, but against New Jersey State law. A lawyer that specializes in family law must have you sign a retainer agreement or else you would never be able to find assistance in whatever your case may be. My answer doesn’t help you out much, being that you live in Georgia, but this is what the law is up here in New Jersey at least. … You can talk to your local municipal court and see what financial alternatives may exist, but outside of a ciminal law case, i’m not sure if the state provides lawyers in any other type of case.

   i’m sorry if i didn’t help you out much…
4. Lance says:

   January 12, 2008 at 9:10 pm

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   I would recommend trying sites like the one below. They have lots of lawyer reviews and good onfo on the type of info you’re looking for. Good luck!