You know you need an attorney – want an attorney – to take care of a legal matter for you. But you think you can’t afford an attorney. Or perhaps you feel that it will be cleaner and easier to handle the matter yourself, without getting attorneys involved.
So you go with your friend or family member to the court and try to handle the matter yourself. You don’t understand the process and the people at the court can’t offer you legal advice. You try to make sense of the forms and follow the rules. It’s time consuming and stressful. Everyone is full of advice but you’re not sure who to listen to. Sound about right? Perhaps Limited Scope Representation is for you.
Limited Scope Representation – What is it, how does it work, why consider?
What: Limited Scope Representation is partial representation which is relatively new and allowed in family legal matters.
How does it work: Both the attorney and the client file appearances with the court. The client, with the assistance of the attorney, decide what parts of the matter the attorney will handle and what parts of the matter the client will handle. Each is allowed to work independently but often confer for strategic purposes.
Why: Cost savings and control. Ideally, everyone would be able to afford full representation for their legal matter. Legal representation is expensive and many people just cannot afford the full boat. Limited Scope Representation gives the client the option of representing themselves with the benefit of an attorney for the parts of the case they feel is most important or complicated. It also gives the client more control over how their legal matter proceeds which some people see as a benefit instead of a burden.
Up until recently, this hybrid representation was not an option; the attorney was either all in or not. This arrangement makes expert legal assistance available to more people going through family legal issues. The problem is, many people don’t know about it and many attorneys do not discuss it. Please share this information. If you are interested in learning more about this option, please visit our A-La-Carte Legal Services page.
