Law Office of Linda C. Garrett

I not only strongly SUPPORT clients educating themselves on legal issues, but strongly ENCOURAGE them--in any area of law, e.g., bankruptcy, family law, creditor issues, etc. The more educated and informed the prospective client is, the better they are able to help themselves--with or without an attorney. For instance, at the conclusion of every consultation, I ALWAYS refer the client to Nolo's wonderful library of books. As Nolo knows by now, I am one of their biggest fans. I personally have been purchasing their books even before law school. My first purchase was the "Tenant's Rights" (12th Edition, published in 1996). I also purchased in 1993 the "How to Do Your Own Divorce in California" before I hired an attorney--the book helped me find the right attorney and negotiate the best settlement. The importance of using Nolo's books is that it empowers the consumer to attempt to deal with the legal issue(s) on their own first before paying money (that they don't have to begin with) to an attorney. So, whenever I get a caller who can't afford an attorney--for bankruptcy, family law, etc., I ALWAYS direct them first to Nolo's website. Bottom line: educating one's self on legal issues is an absolute necessity in this day and age. Another option I provide some clients is legal coaching--where they do all the work, but I answer their questions and coach them through the process. My philosophy is that not everyone needs an attorney to represent them, but every client needs an attorney to at least point them in the right direction. For many, that's all that's needed.

100% willing. Period.

100% willing. In fact, I prefer to coach clients--especially those who don't have the funds to hire an attorney to fully represent them--which is about 95% of the time!

Yes! A perfect example of such a situation is where a client wishes to discuss a settlement proposal as offered by the spouse or the spouse's legal counsel. For personal reasons, the client is not wishing to make known that they are speaking with an attorney. The confidential meeting enables my client to make an informed decision about the settlement proposal without "rocking the boat" on sensitive negotiations. Then, later, if it turns out, the client needs full-scope representation (should negotiations break down), I am able to provide full-scope legal representation;and in some cases, change the scope of my limited scope services to include negotiations on behalf of my client. (This means I negotiate directly with the attorney, not my client.)

Besides being a virtual law office, the fact that I also provide limited-scope (unbundled) legal services. In this format, I provide "as needed" legal services to my clients. For example, maybe all my client needs is for me to answer a lot of legal questions for them; or, my client needs me to only explain and/or coaching them through the process of filing for divorce (or responding to a motion for custody and/or support). My law practice is designed to meet my client's financial needs--not the other way around.