Frequently Asked Questions

Answer:

Can I come to your office so you can evaluate my case so I can decide whether or not to appeal?

We do not believe an appeal can be evaluated competently in an hour-long consultation.  We are pleased to speak with you over the telephone and meet with you for no charge for 30 minutes, schedule permitting, in order to ascertain the procedural posture of your case and to arrange for you to meet us and determine whether you would like to retain us to handle your matter.

At that time, you can determine whether or not you would like to engage us to perform an initial evaluation of your case.  Typically, we will be able to reach some preliminary conclusions after spending a day or two reviewing your documents and conducting the initial legal research.  We require a retainer in advance for this, generally calculated at the hourly rate for one or two days of attorney time, i.e., $3,000 to $6,000.  After the initial assessment, we will provide you a written memorandum with our conclusions.  You then may determine whether you wish to proceed with the appeal and whether you wish to enlist our services for the briefing and balance of the appeal.

However, please be advised this initial evaluation is just that, a preliminary assessment.  Our conclusions may change after reading the entire trial record or conducting additional research.  We may find new avenues which improve your chance of success, or we may discover the original theories are not worth pursuing.

Additionally, because we handle appeals from throughout California, often there is no need for an in-person meeting.  If need be, all arrangements can be handled via telephone, internet and overnight mail.  Indeed, often we do not meet clients in person.

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