Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When you hire us, we will send you a client representation letter and written contract, in accordance with California Business & Professions Code §6148 and the Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of California. The contract, once accepted and returned by you, will constitute the written agreement between us for our legal services. It will set forth how the attorney fees and costs will be billed, as well as the other material terms of our representation.

This depends on the particular matter we will handle for you. We will explain the basis on which our attorney fees will be charged, provide an estimate if desired, and communicate with you on an ongoing basis regarding costs. If your matter is billed on an hourly basis, the hourly rates of the attorneys and paralegals working on your matter, and the basis for the charges, will be explained. You will also receive detailed monthly invoices. In a contingency fee case, we will not bill for our work on an hourly basis, and we will cover part or all of your costs, while your case is pending. Upon a successful recovery, we will be paid either on an hourly basis or through a percentage of the recovery, depending on our agreement. We lose very few cases; but no thoughtful and honest attorney would ever guarantee an absolute victory. So in the rare event that you lost your contingency case, you would owe nothing to us. In most cases, you would not have to pay your opponent’s attorney fees. We will gladly discuss this with you in detail. We also work on various combinations of an hourly billing/contingency fee/flat rate fee, which we will be glad to discuss with you on an individual basis.

Yes. We take Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

See practice areas. If we do not, or cannot, handle your matter, we will make a referral to another attorney if requested.

Yes, we give a first consultation free of charge.

Under the Rules of Professional Conduct, attorneys cannot represent multiple parties who have adverse interests. When you first call our office, you will speak to a secretary or to a paralegal, who will take your name and the names of other parties involved in your matter. We then run a confidential internal check to ensure that no one at our firm represents someone against whom you have a claim or dispute, or vice versa. If we represent someone in an adverse position to you, we would have a conflict of interest, and we would not be allowed to represent you. In some but not all cases, if all parties waive the existing conflict of interest in writing, we can proceed to represent you. However, this is decided on an individual case basis.