5 Questions When Hiring An Attorney
Your legal issue is a BIG DEAL and you need to find the right attorney that you can trust for your case.
It’s like going to the doctor’s office… you want someone who knows what they are doing and who will listen to you so they can help fix your problem and keep you healthy.
In this quick Whitepaper, I am going to answer these questions on how my firm, Law In Kansas City, works so you feel comfortable scheduling an appointment with our office to find out more on if we are the right fit for you.
So what are the 5 common questions people ask in their initial consultation?
- If I hire your firm, will you be the attorney handling my case?
- Have you handled cases like mine before?
- What is your representation style?
- Do you collaborate with your clients?
- What is the best way to communicate with you?
You will notice that I did not mention- “What is the cost?”
I 1000% know you will ask this question, but we are going to go into the difference between old fashioned, one size fits all, legal representation and VIP, right fit, legal services at the end of the article.
#1 If I hire your firm, will you be the attorney handling my case?
If you hire my law firm, Yes!
My name is Carrie Sue Doxsee and I will be the attorney helping you in your case.
When you hire Law In Kansas City, you get an attorney with 30+ years of experience to handle your case. My boutique firm ensures that I am the lawyer you will deal with 100% of the way through your case.
For more about Carrie Sue, go to www.carriesuedoxsee.com
Here is the thing… you get so much more than just an attorney helping you… you get access to our online Law In Kansas City University (working on it as we speak) with tons of resources and mini-courses to help you along your family law journey (plus other resources for other types of legal issues).
But there is more (and no other attorneys but Law In Kansas City go beyond traditional representation)…
You get VIP treatment!
We have frameworks (Delightful Divorce, Peaceful Co-Parenting, Mediation Secrets, P.O.I.N.T.S.) to help you get the tools and resources you need for success in your legal case and bonus materials to help the emotional journey you are on right now. Even when your case is over, we have great content to help you live your best life!
The best part is that you get access 24/7 so you NEVER have to wait for an answer to a basic question ever again… even if you hire us for limited scope representation.
I have tons of content you will receive to help you through your journey…
#2 Have you handled cases like mine before?
Yes! I have been a lawyer for almost 30 years practicing only in bankruptcy, estate planning, small estates for probate, guardianships, family law, and doing traffic tickets. I have extra trainings for mediation, including domestic violence and high conflict cases which also spill over into my family law practice style.
I also have received tons of training to help me create online platforms to provide you with resources available 24/7!
What you don’t know about me is that I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on coaching so I can provide you with tons of BONUS materials which answers client questions and helps you along your legal journey.
I get up at 4:30 am most mornings (even on vacation and holidays) so I can create the best content possible to help my clients have peace of mind going through their legal case.
Here is what you get with Law In Kansas City that you don’t get anywhere else:
Mini-Courses: Our frameworks educate you on the issues you will face in your legal battle so you will feel confident in making decisions (which decreases your attorney fees) and allow you to obtain the best results possible.
MindMaps: Flowchart of how your case works so you get a step by step map of the process and what to expect next;
OnePagers Resources for the particular step you are on. These have educational materials and videos to help you on your journey;
Whitepapers and eBooks Written materials to give you a leg up on the competition;
Issue Emails: Quick answers on what to do when a particular event happens until you can discuss it with the attorney or paralegal;
Videos: “How To’s” “Do’s and Don’ts, Issues Explained, and so much more.
#3 What is your representation style?
This is a GREAT question and I am so glad you asked.
So many family law attorneys go in super hot and create a big mess for your family just to increase their attorney fees and look like a Rockstar for their client. My goal is to do what is best for my client which includes making sure to keep the family unit as healthy as possible.
There is absolutely a right way and a wrong way to deal with Co-Parents and my Peaceful Co-Parenting Framework is unique — no other attorney in the Northland provides you with a course in the “Do’s and Don’ts” and provides tools to help you create a positive Co-Parenting environment so that you don’t screw up your kids just because the Parents are separated or divorced.
I also have a Delightful Divorce Framework that helps people going through a Divorce find a win/win settlement that is fair to both Parties so you don’t have an expensive trial and a Judge making a decision on your future which you probably won’t like (and neither will your Spouse).
On the road to settlement, you might also need to attend mediation. Unlike most attorneys that will just send you without any information or preparation, we have a Mediation Secrets mini course and built in preparation consultation to give you the tools you need to get the settlement you deserve!
Plus, if, despite your intentions to try and find a settlement in your case, the other Party won’t play nice (or is a complete narcissist), we have a P.O.I.N.T.S. framework to help you score the most points with the Judge and give you the best chance to sway the Judge to your proposed division of the assets and debts, maintenance issues, parenting schedule and child support, and attorney fees.
#4 Do you collaborate with your clients?
Absolutely! This is YOUR case and I am here to help you achieve your goals to the best of my ability.
We are a team!
This is your life… your future… so you 100% get a choice of how we move the case along. Plus, it is your money, so you choose which representation plan is right for you.
Of course, part of how much access you have to the attorney depends on the type of representation you choose.
- DIY + and Unbundled Services (Limited Scope Representation) still has access to many of my online mini courses so you get extra help even if you can’t afford a bunch of attorney fees.
- Flat Fee Uncontested Cases has minimal bells and whistles to keep your fee down, but you also have access to many of my online mini courses so you get extra help even if your case is simple. I still want you to make sure your settlement is fair and you understand how everything works so you feel comfortable with the process.
- TLC (Total Legal Coverage) includes client check ins, consultations at every step of your case, and involves you in the process the WHOLE WAY THROUGH. Our frameworks has a step by step process to make sure we take everything in bite size steps… we don’t want you overwhelmed! However, I want to protect your final results in case we go to trial, which means we will be preparing from day one even if we think the Parties can come to an agreement. I don’t want you to get poor results because we didn’t get ready for trial from day one.
For all contested cases, we will discuss your goals from the start. If you are not a good fit for our firm, or if we don’t think we can achieve your goals, we will not take on your case.
#5 What I the best way to communicate with you?
Law In Kansas City sets up our communication based on just how fast the issue must be resolved. We have a three-tiered system which includes use of Clio Connect, our client portal, plus email and phone calls.
Don’t forget, for TLC Clients, you will have a consultation built in at every step of your case which helps with communication as well as STATUS emails to give you updates along the way.
Here is how the three-tiered system works:
- Fires: When there is a MAJOR issue that needs to be resolved in the next 24–48 hours, you will…(1) Text us; (2) call us; and/or (3) come in and do a FIRE DROP IN to fill out information on what is going on. We will either call you or schedule a call with the attorney. Make sure the communications says “Fire” in your message so we know to prioritize your issue.
- Important: This is when you have an issue that needs to be resolved in the next week or two. Messaging us through the Clio Client App and sending us an email is the best way to bring this to our attention. Again, you use the title “important” in your communication so we make sure to get it on the work calendar to resolve the issue. This may require a call to make sure we fully understand what is going on, how this is impacting you, and what your goals are. If this is an issue that comes up a lot in your type of case, we will also send you an email with some educational materials right away to get you started on a solution or at least know what to expect.
- Information Only: in order to keep your attorney fees down, we have emails with titles of “information only” so you can provide us with an update or report an incident to discuss at your next appointment. This also helps you keep track of when things happen for your trial timeline. Note that we will NOT respond back to these emails; however, we will make a note of them and discuss at your next client conference.
You will receive STATUS emails to help you know what happens and when so you are up to date on your case. Be aware, when you are in the middle of your case and nothing is really going on (probably because we are waiting on a deadline or information), you will feel a bit like you don’t know what is going on. This is NORMAL. We will still try to check in with you every few weeks for an update or to let you know what to expect. The goal is to give you an expectation on how long each step of the case will take.
Unfortunately, you can’t just drop in to ask for a status update. The only drop ins we allow is if you have a FIRE, need to fill out a change of address form, or you have an appointment to sign documents or bring in paperwork.
The good news is that you can use our mailbox outside the front door to drop off documents after hours.
BONUS, ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, QUESTION…
What does it cost?
Most attorneys just tell you to plop down a huge amount of money regardless of if you have a simple, uncontested cases or the Parties are working together to find their solution and just need a little bit of help. This is the One-Size-Fits-All Solution.
It does NOT have to be this way.
More and more people are utilizing Unbundled Services (sometimes called Limited Scope Representation) to save on cost on easy uncontested divorces.
There are all kinds of representation options for you at Law In Kansas City. We have something for about everyone- no matter what your budget. We have you covered!
- DIY +
- Unbundled Services
- Quick Start Limited Scope
- Flat Fees
- Total Legal Coverage
We also host a Lunch and Learn Q&A on most Tuesdays at noon to help you figure out how to get started on your representation. I go over representation options there as well. This is a free webinar. To register, go to:
https://www.legallifeguards.com/divorce-lunch-and-learn-2
Conclusion
What do you think?
Does having VIP Representation sound good to you?
Or do you want to settle for old fashioned legal representation with a one size fits all mentality and comes with a hefty price tag?
No other law firm in Kansas City provides you with access to resources 24/7!
Plus, you actually get tons of resources without having to pay thousands of dollars for all our resources!
Did you ever think that an attorney would pay tens of thousands of dollars to learn technology and techniques to provide you with more help for your case?
Ok, so I hope you can see how Law In Kansas City is a unicorn in the legal world.
Our firm also gives you online access 24/7 to your case and information to help you on your journey. Our client software, Clio, has it’s own App that you can download on your phone which allows you to message the firm and upload documents we need, see documents filed in your case in one location, text notification of appointments and upcoming court dates, fill out information online instead of having to come into the office for additional visits (and time off of work)… and so much more!
No other attorney has spent YEARS creating content and resources and finding the perfect client software to upgrade your experience.
I get this question all the time- “Carrie Sue, why do you spend so much time and money learning all this stuff to help your clients? Other attorneys don’t. So why is it important to you?”
First, what you may not know is that I went through a pretty bad divorce. You will hear about it in some of my emails. Truth it, I know how hard family law cases are and the emotional turmoil you are going through. I have empathy and sympathy for your journey because I have been down the same road.
Second, my journey to be the best law firm in Kansas City has been a roller coaster. The more I tried to give value, the more the costs went up for my clients because I still had to spend the time to deliver the information to them. It wasn’t until I hired a coach that I started to learn that I could spend time- just once- create a piece of content (article, eBook, video, online course) and then also find a way to deliver it online in a specific platform so that my client could get all my content or “step ready” content (what they needed to finish the particular stage of their case) without being overwhelmed.
For more about my journey, go to www.carriesuedoxsee.com
Have not set up an appointment yet? Click below to head to our Welcome Call page and get your appointment booked now! Slots fill up fast!!!!
https://www.lawinkc.com/lkc-book-a-call
It has been a pleasure helping you get the confidence you need
to take the next step in hiring your attorney.
