What to expect
The work, demystified.
Most of our clients have never hired a lawyer before. The legal system is opaque and the experience is intimidating. This page exists to remove some of the opacity. Here’s what working with us actually looks like, end to end.
Overview
The four phases.
Every case is different, but the structure is consistent.
- 01
Confidential case evaluation
A free, 30-minute conversation. We learn about your situation; you learn about us. Whatever you share is confidential. There is no obligation to engage.
- 02
Strategy & engagement
If you decide to engage us, we draft an engagement letter that explains scope, retainer, and fees in plain language. You will know exactly what you are paying for.
- 03
We handle the courts and the paperwork
We file, we negotiate, we appear, we mediate, we try the case if we have to. You will be informed at every step. You will not be surprised.
- 04
You get your life back
Your case finishes with a clear order or agreement. We make sure the implementation — QDROs, deeds, transfers, modifications — actually happens.
Before you call
Before you call us.
There is no preparation required to call us. The case evaluation is a conversation; we will ask the questions we need answers to, and you can share what you are comfortable sharing. The most useful preparation is mental: a clear idea of what is happening, what you are concerned about, and what you would want the outcome to look like if you could choose.
If it helps to make a list before the call, here are the things we will likely cover: who is in your family, when the situation became real, whether anything has been filed yet, what your living arrangements look like, what your work and financial situation looks like at a high level, and what you have done already (talking to your spouse, talking to a therapist, talking to other lawyers).
You do not need to bring documents to the case evaluation. If we engage, we will ask for documents at that point — and we will tell you exactly what we need.
Your first call
Your first call: the case evaluation.
The case evaluation is approximately thirty minutes, free, and entirely confidential. It is conducted by an attorney — not a paralegal, not an intake coordinator. The attorney has reviewed whatever you shared on the form before the call and will use the time to ask the questions that matter for your situation.
By the end of the call, we will tell you what we think — including what we think about whether you should engage us, what we would do first if we did, and what we estimate the case will involve in time and cost. We will also tell you if we think you should be talking to someone else (a different specialty, a different firm, a therapist or accountant first). The case evaluation is a conversation, not a sales pitch.
Whatever you share is confidential. The conversation does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship; engagement is established when we sign an engagement letter and you place a retainer.
If we engage
If we engage: how representation works.
If we mutually decide to work together, we draft an engagement letter that explains: the scope of representation (which matters we are handling), the fee structure (typically a retainer plus hourly billing — we explain this in detail below), the attorneys assigned to your case, communication expectations, and the standard provisions about confidentiality, conflicts, and termination.
Most NC family law matters are billed on a retainer-plus-hourly basis. You place an initial retainer (a deposit, held in trust); we bill against the retainer as we work; we replenish the retainer when it falls below a defined threshold. We send detailed monthly invoices that show every entry, every attorney, every minute. If you have questions about a charge, we discuss it. We do not bill for explaining our bills.
We bill in tenth-of-an-hour increments at hourly rates that vary by attorney experience. The lead partner and senior associate handle the substantive work; paralegals handle calendaring, document preparation, and routine correspondence at lower rates. We staff cases efficiently — there is no value in two attorneys reading the same email.
During your case
During your case: what to expect.
Family law cases unfold over months, sometimes years. The pace is set by NC procedure and the court calendar, not by either party's preferences alone. We are realistic with our clients about timelines: an uncontested NC divorce after a complete separation agreement might be 60 days from filing; a contested divorce involving custody, support, and equitable distribution typically runs 9–18 months from filing to final judgment.
Court appearances vary. The vast majority of NC family law cases settle without a contested trial. You will likely appear at a brief hearing for the absolute divorce itself. Whether you need to testify in a contested proceeding depends entirely on whether your case settles before trial.
Communication is a meaningful part of representation. We aim to respond to client communications within one business day. We send substantive case updates as developments occur. We do not bill our clients to read the documents we send them, and we do not bury substance in jargon. You will be informed at every step. You will not be surprised.
After resolution
After resolution: implementation and beyond.
Most family law cases finish with a court order, a separation agreement, or both. The order or agreement is the document; it is not the result. The result requires implementation: QDROs to divide retirement accounts, deeds to transfer real estate, account transfers to divide brokerage assets, beneficiary changes on insurance, modifications to estate plans, sometimes new banking and credit relationships.
We handle the implementation work along with the substantive case. Where additional professionals are needed (QDRO drafting, tax-aware structuring, estate planning), we coordinate with them. The case is not done until your life on the other side of it actually works.
Family law orders are also not always final. Custody and support orders can be modified upon a substantial change in circumstances. Many of our clients return to us years after their original case for modifications, enforcement actions, or related matters as their lives evolve. The continuity of representation across years is one of the things that makes this firm different.
Common questions
About working with us.
Schedule a Confidential Case Evaluation
Schedule a Confidential Case Evaluation.
The first step is the conversation. The conversation is free, confidential, and approximately thirty minutes.