Law practice policies
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RATES On the majority of legal matters I prefer to charge a flat rate for my services. This rate is determined by legal issues involved, complexity, and the length of time spent on legal service. A flat rate fee is generally charged for expungements, bankruptcy and business formation / services. For most litigation matters and parole release advocacy I charge a standard rate of $200 per hour, with a retainer of at least $5,000 deposited into a trust account to pay for attorney fees and expenses. For legal matters involving personal injury or wrongful death I generally earn a contingency fee of 33% of the amount received in settlement, 45% if the case goes to trial. Billing statements are sent out monthly and any outstanding payments are due within two weeks of the billing statement being sent out. Forms of payment are Cash, Money Orders, Check, Visa And MasterCard. I can receive credit card payment over the telephone. APPOINTMENTS
If a client needs to meet with me, I generally schedule appointments from Monday - Tuesday at my office in Lake Oswego and Wednesday - Thursday at my office in Independence. If necessary I can also meet with clients in Salem, McMinnville, Newport and Oregon City at the County Courthouse conference rooms that are available for attorney use. Walk-ins are discouraged as this disrupts my work schedule and I may be unavailable to see you. Documents may be left with my receptionist. Please call (503) 534 - 3551 to arrange an appointment. If you can't make an appointment or are running late please call to let me know, it would be greatly appreciated.
COMMUNICATION Whenever possible I prefer to receive messages by email at lawyer@daleroller.com. This allows me to keep a copy of the message neatly filed on my computer and a chance to look at the issue before I respond. I generally check my email every 30 minutes when I am at the office and will respond with a few minutes. If you need to call, please call my office number at (503) 534 - 3551 and my receptionist will put you through if I am available. I believe that having clear and open channels of communication are important for building a strong working relationship. For long distance clients, I do have video conferencing technology available for virtual meetings. I also firmly believe it is necessary to keep my clients updated on their legal affairs. I prefer to email status updates once a month with a pdf copy of court documents and a current billing statement. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTWhenever possible, I try to run my law practice as an eco-friendly business. Most of my office supplies are manufactured from recycled materials. I use energy efficient lighting sources. In an effort to generate as little waste paper as possible I run a "paperless" office. Most of my documents are in a digital format that are backed up daily to three different sources. This has the advantage of being portable, very little physical storage space, less paper waste and the copies of the documents are easily sent and stored via email. I drive a fuel efficient vehicle but prefer to ride my bicycle to the office whenever possible. We have only one world to live on, it would be a shame to waste so much of it on legal problems. It isn't being green, but in the long run I think that it is worth the effort. |