Frequently Asked Questions
What is the process to get a consultation?
What if I already have another attorney?
Further, we will not “check work” or give “second opinions” when a prospective client has an attorney already. If you have an attorney already and have a question about their performance or the results you are seeing, please promptly discuss these issues with them before contacting us.
Can I bring my family or friends to my appointment?
How much is your fee? How does the fee structure work?
Unlike many firms, this firm does not bill paralegal or secretarial time for services performed by support staff. Nor does this firm charge for long-distance telephone charges, routine copy charges, routine postage and delivery, or credit card processing. Likewise, this firm keeps all attorney service-time documented to the nearest 1/10th of an hour (rounded upward) and prorates for services performed at the same time for several cases. (Some firms bill to ¼ hour increments or more, causing your prepaid credits to be depleted quicker and causing you to owe more to your attorney sooner.)
Can I get my legal fees paid if I win?
How fast can you finish my case?
Otherwise, some cases (divorce, non-divorce, post-divorce, etc.) can be resolved by Default Judgment if the opposing party has been served for at least 30 days but has not taken proper steps to defend against the relief being sought. That process requires at least 30 days between service of process and the request for Default Judgment. The actual time required will, again, depend on many other factors.
A case that is not resolved by agreement or Default Judgment can otherwise take several months or more to resolve, depending on the circumstances.
We all understand how stressful the pendency of a case can be, however, this firm does not advise clients to put the desire for quick relief in front of their own financial or other legal interests. We do not work to “expedite” bad results for clients: getting the best results takes cooperation, diligence, time, and patience!
I have been served legal documents. What should I do?
I have been given proposed agreed documents. Can you look them over for me?
How long do I have to be legally separated to be divorced?
Will it be hard to get my name changed after I am divorced? Will it cost more?
My spouse left me. I want to get them for abandonment.
My spouse and I agree we want a divorce. Isn’t this an agreed divorce?
I got served with divorce papers and they say that I am guilty of inappropriate marital conduct. I haven’t done anything wrong. What should I do?
“Inappropriate Marital Conduct” is sometimes used as a catch-all to plead grounds for divorce where the matter has not already been agreed upon. With proper representation, you will learn how this ground is treated in a typical divorce action and you will be best prepared to resolve your matter toward preserving your best interests.
I heard Tennessee is “not an alimony state.” Is that true?
How old does a child need to be to decide which parent they should primarily reside with?
However, if a case has reached the point that a child’s preference is being weighed by the Court, it is generally at the trial level and the child is generally required to testify to comport with the rules of evidence. This is often disfavored, absent extraordinary circumstances.