FAQ's

Q. What do I need to bring to an initial consultation?

A. Please take a moment and print out and complete the forms on the left. You will also need to gather the following information to bring with you:

• Last 3 years of tax returns
• Last 6 months of bank statements for all accounts you or your spouse can sign on, if available
• A complete list of income and expenses
• A complete list of assets and liabilities

Q. How are fees set in family law cases?

A. Each lawyer works on an hourly rate. The hourly rate varies among the lawyers in our firm depending upon their experience and expertise. A biographical sketch for each lawyer may be found on the Attorneys page or the About Us pages of this site. Family law cases range from quite expensive to terribly expensive depending upon numerous factors, many of which we cannot control. The factors include, but are not limited to:

• The willingness of your spouse/ex-spouse to cooperate in the information gathering phase of your case.
• Your opposing counsel's willingness to cooperate in the information gathering phases of your case.
• The number and complexity of the issues involved.

The amount of time required will vary greatly from case to case. We do not charge a "flat" fee as those may sometimes be unfair to the client and other times unfair to the lawyer. We are prohibited by ethics rules from charging contingent fees except in circumstances limited to collecting unpaid support. We encourage frank discussions of fees and cost of litigation both before commencement of services and during.

Q. Will my spouse be required to pay my attorney's fees or litigation costs?

A. Under Oklahoma law, the trial court in its discretion may order either party to pay all or a portion of the fees and costs of the other. The courts are also charged with the responsibility of "weighing the equities" whenever a fee is requested. Ordinarily, this translates into Oklahoma courts requiring the parties to pay their own fees except where one party has been unreasonable either in the positions taken (requiring additional or unnecessary time expenditure) or in very limited circumstances, where one party simply has no ability to pay. It is quite rare that a court ever requires one party to pay all of the fees and costs of another party. Usually the courts apportion property so that unless someone has acted unreasonably in the litigation, the parties would be required to pay their own fees and costs. When the courts do require payment, it is ordinarily only for that portion of one's fees that were necessitated by unreasonable actions or the other.

Q. Do you require a contract for your services?

A. Yes. The rules of the Oklahoma Bar Association provide in cases where a lawyer has not regularly represented the client, the basis of the rate or fee shall be communicated to the client, preferably in writing. It is always better to clearly spell out the rights and responsibilities in the fee arrangement. We do not require a contract for consultations, but if we are engaged to represent a client through litigation, a contract is necessary.