Your Consultation: What to Expect
Your first call to our intake team is free. If we can help, they schedule a one-hour consultation with one of our family law attorneys. Here is how that works, what it costs and what you leave with.
Schedule a Consultation: (877) 351-1513
Start with a free call to our intake team. No cost and no obligation.
How It Works, Step by Step
Most divorce attorneys and family law attorneys in North Carolina require a consultation first. Here’s how ours works, from your first call to the start of your case.
Schedule a Consultation
Call us and schedule a consultation. Your first call is free and is with our intake team, who are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice. They confirm that we handle your type of matter in your area, then schedule you with an attorney. Consultations are one hour and are billed at the attorney’s hourly rate. That is enough time to fully understand your case and discuss your options for moving forward, which a 20-minute consultation is not. Think of a consultation as an appointment at your doctor’s office to get a physical, it’s designed to let you decide if the attorney is a good fit for your case and to get real legal advice about how to move forward.
Complete Some Paperwork
You’ll fill out some paperwork, so we appreciate it if you arrive about 10 minutes early or complete it in advance. We’ll also run a “conflicts check” through our system to make sure we haven’t already been retained by your spouse.
Meet With Your Attorney
Meet with one of our experienced NC divorce attorneys (also called family law attorneys). You’ll be asked a lot of questions during the consultation, and we’ll listen closely, this helps us determine the best possible path forward for your case and the options available to you.
Take Home Your “Homework”
You’ll leave our office with some paperwork we’ll need in order to move forward with your case once you decide to retain us. You don’t have to decide during the consultation. Along with your “homework,” we’ll provide our contract for services. When you’re ready to retain us, bring back your completed homework, signed contract, and payment for our legal services.
We Begin Representing You
Once you retain our services, your divorce attorney begins representing you in your case. You can stop worrying about the details and let your attorney do the worrying for you. To retain us, you’ll need to pay the quoted fee and sign the contract.
Before Your Consultation: What to Expect From the First Meeting
Should I Pay an Attorney for a Family Law Consultation?
Most family law attorneys charge for an initial consultation, and there is a reason for that. Attorneys bill by the hour for family law work, so the consultation fee pays for the lawyer’s time, the same way a doctor, dentist or mechanic charges to spend an hour diagnosing your problem and laying out your options. At McIlveen Family Law Firm we think the initial consultation is the most important hour of your case. The attorney listens to the facts, explains the law that applies, and works through a strategy with you to reach your goals. Family law is not one-size-fits-all, and our aim is to educate you well enough that you can make good decisions whether or not you hire us. You will leave knowing the next steps and with a quote for moving forward. The consultation fee is the attorney’s hourly rate for one hour, which ranges from $320 to $600, and consultations are available in person at any of our offices, by phone or by Zoom. Call 877-351-1513 to schedule.
I know exactly what I need, so can’t someone just quote me over the phone?
It may feel that way, but family law cases are intensely fact-specific, and there are often options you did not know to ask about. Giving advice over the phone without all the facts can lead to disaster, so we do not do it. Be wary of firms that do. In most cases you are not speaking to an attorney; paralegals, receptionists and intake staff are not permitted to give legal advice, and well-meaning guidance from someone who has not been to law school can hurt your case. The consultation is where an attorney gathers what is needed to advise you properly and to quote a fee that reflects what your case actually involves.
What can a lawyer tell me that Google can’t?
Search engines are a fine place to start, and this website exists to help you do that research. But what you find online is generic by necessity. The law that decides your case is a combination of North Carolina statutes, the local rules of the judicial district where you file, and case law: the published opinions of the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court that tell trial judges how to apply the statutes to facts like yours. A judge’s ruling in your case can be appealed, the appellate court reviews the record and briefs and issues an opinion, and that opinion becomes precedent for the next case. Lawyers spend three years of law school and a career learning to read statutes and case law together and apply them to a client’s facts, and a lawyer who practices in your county knows how your judges tend to rule. That is what you cannot get from a search result.
What if I don’t hire you? Have I wasted my money?
No. The consultation is legal advice, not a sales pitch. You will leave with an honest assessment of your situation, a strategy, and often solutions you did not know existed. If we are not the right fit, we will give you a list of referral sources, and we can provide forms and checklists you may find useful. Most importantly, the consultation can stop you from making an expensive mistake. Before you move out of the house, move your children to another city or state, move money out of accounts, sign anything your spouse hands you, or take any other significant step, talk to a family law attorney. In family law, your case is your life, and these decisions have lasting consequences. We regularly represent clients living elsewhere in North Carolina, out of state and overseas. Call 877-351-1513 to schedule a consultation with one of our award-winning family law attorneys.
How Our Billing Works
Your retainer. When you hire us, you pay a retainer. Twenty percent is a general retainer, which is earned when paid and is not refundable. The other 80 percent is held in our trust account as a deposit, much like a security deposit on an apartment.
Bills every two weeks. We send a detailed invoice every two weeks and charge the credit card or bank account you provide. Billing this often means you always know what your case is costing, and you’re never surprised by a large monthly bill.
Your deposit comes back. Because you pay as you go, your deposit stays in trust. At the end of your case it is refunded to you or, if you prefer, applied to your final bill.
Financing. We offer financing through Affirm for retainers, subject to Affirm’s approval. Affirm cannot be used for the consultation fee.
Common Questions About Your Consultation
Is the first call free?
Yes. Your first call is with our intake team and costs nothing. They are not attorneys, so they can’t advise you on your case, but they will make sure we handle your type of matter in your area and answer questions about how we work. If you decide to move forward, they’ll schedule a paid consultation with one of our attorneys, in person, by phone or by Zoom.
What should I bring to my first consultation?
Bring any relevant documents you have, such as financial records, existing court orders, or correspondence related to your case, along with a summary of your situation and goals.
How long does a consultation take?
Our consultations are one hour. That is enough time for the attorney to hear the facts, explain the law that applies, and work through a strategy with you.
How much does the consultation cost?
The call to schedule is free and is with our intake team, not an attorney. The consultation fee is the consulting attorney’s hourly rate for one hour and is quoted when you schedule. Our attorneys’ hourly rates range from $320 to $600, depending on experience and board certification. If you hire the firm, the consultation is the start of the work on your case.
Will the attorney tell me exactly what will happen in my case?
A good attorney will give you a realistic assessment based on the facts, but no one can guarantee a specific outcome in advance.
Is everything I say confidential?
Yes. Communications with an attorney during a consultation are protected by attorney-client privilege.
Can I bring someone with me to the consultation?
Yes, and many clients bring a parent, sibling or friend for support. Keep in mind that the attorney-client privilege protects only conversations between you and your lawyer; a third person in the room can in theory be asked about what was said. For that reason we may ask your companion to step out for parts of the meeting.
What happens after the consultation if I want to hire you?
You will receive a written fee agreement explaining the retainer, the hourly rates of the attorneys and paralegals who will work on your case, and how billing works. Once the agreement is signed and the retainer paid, we begin work immediately, which in urgent cases can mean filing the same week.
Ready to Talk?
Schedule your consultation today and get real answers about your options.
Managing Partner and Co-Founder, McIlveen Family Law Firm. Angela is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law, certified by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and an experienced family law trial attorney who represents clients across North Carolina. She personally reviewed this page for legal accuracy.
