Do I have to pay for an initial consultation?

No.  Please feel free to call or email me to discuss any legal issues that you have encountered and to set up your free initial consultation.   We will use the initial consultation to determine relevant issues, examine your options moving forward and develop a course of action to help you get the relief you need.

 

I do not see the exact issue I have listed on your website. Does this mean you cannot help me? 

No.  Family/Domestic Law encompasses a wide range of subject areas and topics which are too plentiful to examine in detail on my website.  If you do not see your issue listed as a general topic, this does not mean I cannot help you with your matter.  Please contact the Law Office of J. Wyatt Wimberly, LLC today, and I will be glad to discuss your specific matter in detail.

 

I already have an Order/Agreement from the Family Court, but my ex  is not complying with its terms.  How do I enforce the terms of the Order/Agreement?

When you have an Order from Family Court, or if you have had an Agreement incorporated into an Order of the Family Court, the Order or Agreement “has teeth” so to speak. In other words, if your ex does something they are not supposed to do per the terms of the Order/Agreement or fails to do something they are supposed to do per the terms of the Order/Agreement, you can utilize the contempt powers of the Court to hold the infringing party accountable and force compliance with the terms.  The proper manner to do this is by filing what is known as a Rule to Show Cause.   Per our statutes, if you prevail at your Rule to Show Cause hearing, the contemptuous party could be subject to fine, imprisonment, community service or a combination of all three.  Please call the Law Office of J. Wyatt Wimberly, LLC today to discuss your ex’s contemptuous actions.

 

Can you tell me how much it will cost to retain you as my attorney?

Most Family Court matters are handled on a “retainer fee” basis.  This is unlike a flat (one-time) fee or a contingency fee (when, other than recoverable costs, you pay nothing unless money is collected).  Rather, a retainer fee goes into my IOLTA trust account where it remains until I have earned the money.  I do not earn the money until I bill against it for doing work on your case at my hourly rate.  If your retainer ever falls below a certain amount I would ask that you “refresh” the retainer so there is money in your trust account to bill against.  If there is money remaining in your retainer held in trust at the resolution of your matter, you are entitled to the return of such funds.

The amount of the initial retainer I require to handle your case will be determined by circumstances including, but not limited to, the nature  of the issues that need to be addressed, the amount of time that will be required to address those issues, and the contested or uncontested nature of the issues.  We will use your free initial consultation to go over all the circumstances surrounding your needs and to explore the appropriate avenues needed to pursue the relief you need.   I will then quote a proper retainer fee needed to begin work on your case.

 

Do I have to have an attorney to handle my family law issue?

No, but please consider speaking with an attorney before “going it alone.”

You have the right to represent yourself in your Family Court matter.  Individuals who represent themselves are referred to as “pro-se” litigants.  It can often be enticing to save the expense of hiring an attorney, but one cannot underestimate the value of having someone well-versed in the law to help him/her through his/her matter.

For example, it is often much more difficult to help a client “dig themselves out of a hole” that exists because they attempted to represent themselves at a temporary hearing than to help that same client by providing legal representation for purposes of preparation and handling of the temporary hearing from the get-go.  Likewise, a pro-se litigant may be able to navigate their case or even reach what they feel to be a successful resolution or acceptable agreement.  However, problems may arise if that same litigant does not follow proper procedure,  does not plead for relief appropriately,  fails to contemplate important issues entirely which may “rear their ugly heads” later, or uses agreement language that is too vague or ambiguous to be enforceable.

Before deciding to “go it alone,” please call the Law Office of J. Wyatt Wimberly, LLC today to set up your free consultation to discuss your Family Court issue(s).