Going through a divorce or any family law matter involves many issues including custody, visitation, support, and a division of community property assets and debts. It can be a harrowing experience and emotionally draining for the parties involved and not to mention the costs of retaining an attorney to represent you throughout the case. It can be a lengthy process and involve lots of attorney’s fees for both sides.
An alternative to being fully represented in such matters for people who are on a tight budget or whom do not have the financial wherewithal to afford an attorney from start to finish is the LIMITED SCOPE REPRESENTATION.
An agreement can be made between the client and the attorney for the attorney to perform some of the work involved in your case while the client does the work on the other aspects of the case.
Some examples include:
- The client hiring the lawyer to represent the client on certain issues in their case (such as child support and/or custody) while the client does the rest themselves.
- The client can hire the lawyer to prepare the forms and other court documentation but the client can file them and represent themselves at the hearings
- The client can hire the lawyer to get legal advice and coach the client on how to represent themselves at the court hearings and help in the preparation of evidence that will be presented in court.
- The client can hire the lawyer to help with the more complicated parts of the case such as discovery and legal research while the client does the simpler tasks themselves
As in any form of representation, the key is communicating with the lawyer and knowing what each other’s roles are in this type of representation. This type of representation is advantageous for the client on a budget.
In the cases where client hires the lawyer to appear in court on a limited scope basis on certain issues, a NOTICE OF LIMITED SCOPE REPRESENTATION must be filed with the court and served on the opposing party or his/her attorney if represented.