Services
The Legal Help We Provide
We offer legal services for matters in British Columbia and Alberta. We want to be accessible to everyone, which is why we are a remote office that is almost completely paperless. This helps keep costs down and allows us to communicate and share information with you effectively even though we might not be in the same location.
We are not your traditional law firm in many ways, including how we do business. In addition to full general retainer agreements with clients, we offer unbundled legal services, mediation, and legal coaching, which allows you to stay in control of your legal situation and puts up safeguards from you being blindsided by unexpectedly high legal bills. We discuss the cost and the expectations before we take any steps.
We are accepting Legal Aid contracts.
Pricing - Consultations for Legal Advice
Great $200
- Review of client intake form
- up to 30 minutes in consultation
Greater $500
- Review of client intake form
- up to 60 minutes in consultation
- up to 30 minutes of document review prior to consultation
Greatest $800*
- Review of client intake form
- up to 75 minutes in consultation
- up to 45 minutes of document review prior to consultation
- letter summarizing legal advice and information provided during consultation
* Best value with savings of over 30% (that’s more than $400!)
Add Ons
At your consultation, the lawyer will discuss the options of entering into a retainer agreement for legal services and the costs of doing so. If you decide that you need more legal help, you may book a second consultation or choose add-ons after your consultation:
- 30 minute document review = $175
- 30 minute consultation = $175
- summary letter = $500
The consultation packages aim to provide the client with quality legal advice and information so that they can make an informed decision about their situation. The focus is on the client and their legal issues.
Prices do not include taxes.
What Are Unbundled Legal Services?
Are you looking for a service that allows you to have more control over what is going on in your legal matter and how much you are spending on it? If so, unbundling might be for you! To find out more, read our blog post about unbundled legal services.
Unbundling services can be provided at any step in the process. Perhaps you have gotten things started, but now need some advice on how to proceed or you are considering separating and would like to know your legal position and what to expect going forward.
Unbundling (also known as a “limited scope retainer”) is where the lawyer and the client determine what specific steps the lawyer will assist the client with. This allows the client to take on a more significant role handling their legal issues. The lawyer will assist rather than deal with everything that comes up. This should help the client reduce the amount they pay to a lawyer and the client will better maintain control and understanding over their legal situation. The lawyer will work with you by helping you understand the legal system and giving you tools and resources to address your issues so that you can better resolve them and make decisions.
If you have any questions or concerns about unbundled legal services, please ask the lawyer about them during your consultation.
What types of unbundled services are offered?
Below is a list of some of the legal services we provide. If something is not listed that you need assistance with, please ask and we will consider expanding our services to meet your needs.
- Initial consultation
- Independent Legal Advice for agreements (prenuptial, cohabitation, matrimonial property division, parenting plans, etc.)
- Preparation for court or mediation
- Attendance at mediation
- Attendance at court
- Legal coaching i.e. behind the scenes guidance for self-represented litigants
- Assistance with legal research
- Guidance on how to navigate the court system
- Additional resources on a variety of topics
- Negotiation and settlement strategies
- Review of documents, orders and agreements
- Organization of documents
- Preparation of documents: divorce, court orders, affidavits, separation agreements, settlement proposals, etc.
- Calculation of child and spousal support payments
- Legal opinion letter on particular issue
- Preparation of agreements (prenuptials, cohabitation, separation)
- Mediation and Arbitration information and preparation
On offre les services notariaux en français. Frais 50$ chaque sceau et 25$ pour chaque page subséquente.
How Much Do Unbundled Legal Services Cost?
It depends. (This is a lawyer’s favourite answer, but I will give you a bit more here…)
At the consultation and before the lawyer commences any work, you will discuss the costs of each step with the lawyer and sign a limited scope retainer agreement. This ensures that both you and the lawyer understand your roles and expectations. You could agree on a flat rate or you could agree on a pay as you go approach that would be based on an hourly rate.
It is not uncommon to see someone sign a full retainer agreement with a lawyer for any amount between $2,500 and $10,000+ and then unfortunately they run out of money and end up being self-represented. These people often feel lost and unsure of what is going on. Unbundled legal services aim to avoid this because the client plays an active role in their case and they are able to access legal services in a more efficient and cost effective manner.
We recognize that legal services can be unaffordable for certain people, especially if they are going through a separation. Not everyone has the same budget. We offer a service that allows the client to pick and choose when they would like to hire a lawyer to help them navigate the legal system and provide advice to them. It is important to seek legal advice so that you can make informed decisions. Even lawyers need assistance from lawyers when going through legal issues.
Each case is unique due to the facts and varying personalities involved, which is especially true in family law. The timeline to resolve a legal matter depends on the issues and the people involved. Being reasonable helps settle cases and can help avoid high costs, stress and disappointments.
And remember… Family law matters can be emotional and stressful. Take care of yourself and seek out a counsellor or other support services to help you get through this difficult time. This will help us focus on the legal issues and keep your legal costs down.
Please consider speaking to a lawyer about your legal matter. You can book a consultation with Step By Step Law using the “See Availability” button below.
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