Thanks for reaching out at what is usually a stressful moment. This Family Law Retainer Agreement sets the ground rules for the family law retainer setup you are hiring me to do, and it applies to any proposal you have accepted for that work. The point is simple: you know what I will do, what I will not do, what you need to send me so I can move quickly, and how payment works.
What you get
Family law retainer setup covers the upfront work that lets me decide, in writing, what I can do for you next and what it will cost. It includes the conflict check and opposing party screening, the intake meeting, a scope-of-representation write-up, retainer and client trust deposit instructions, billing setup, opening your file, and logging the first known deadlines.
The specific items you are getting are listed under this section. This work does not include filing anything with the court or appearing in court. If you want me to take the next step after setup, I will put the expanded scope in writing first, including how fees and any trust deposit work.
Payment
To book family law retainer setup, you pay 25% of the price when you sign. I schedule your intake meeting and start the conflict check after that booking payment is made.
The remaining 75% is due when the engagement is complete, meaning I have finished the setup work and delivered your scope-of-representation write-up and next-step plan. I invoice as the work moves through these stages, and each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date. If a payment is late, I may pause work until your account is current. If a deadline is coming up, tell me right away so we can talk about options before any pause creates risk.
Privacy and files
What you share with me for this matter stays private. That includes your documents, messages, financial details, and anything I learn in the intake meeting. I only share information when I need to in order to run the conflict check, set up billing, or carry out the scope you have hired me for, and I keep that sharing as limited as I can.
When this engagement ends, I keep your file and notes as part of my records. If you ask for copies of what you provided or what I created for you in this setup, I will send them in a reasonable format. If you move to a new lawyer, I can also send the setup materials and deadline notes you paid for, so you are not starting over.
How I’m engaged
I work as an independent attorney running my own practice. I am not your employee, and you are not my employer. That matters because it means I set my working methods, hours, and tools, and I am responsible for my own taxes, insurance, and business expenses.
You are hiring me for a defined project: family law retainer setup. Nothing in this agreement creates a promise that I will represent you in court, take ongoing responsibility for your case, or act outside the written scope. If you want ongoing representation after setup, I will offer it only by a separate written scope that you can review before you commit.
Limits you should know
I take your deadlines and safety concerns seriously, and I will log known deadlines once I open your file. At the same time, I cannot protect a deadline I do not know about. If you have been served, have a hearing date, have an order-of-protection issue, or anything time-sensitive, tell me on the first call and send the paperwork before the intake meeting.
I am responsible for the work I agree to do in writing, and I am not responsible for outcomes that depend on facts you do not share, documents you do not provide, or actions taken by the other side or the court. If you decide not to follow the next-step plan, I am not monitoring your case after this project ends.
Ending this agreement
Either of us can end this engagement by telling the other in writing. I will confirm where things stand, what I have completed, and what I was still waiting on from you so you are not left guessing.
If you end it early, you pay for the work already completed up to the end date, and I will invoice accordingly under the same payment terms. If I end it early, I will do it in a way that avoids foreseeable harm where I can, and I will hand over the setup materials completed to date so you can keep moving. If there is a trust deposit for a later phase of representation, what is refundable depends on the signed scope and the work performed.
Signature
