Did you know that you don’t have to choose between hiring a lawyer to handle everything in your divorce case, or going throught it without any legal advice?
Hiring a lawyer to do it all for you can be quite expensive. But perhaps you just need some legal advice on a few specific issues. Can you hire a lawyer to help you with just those issues?
Yes, you can. It’s called Limited Scope Representation (LSR), and it refers to an agreement between a client and a lawyer that defines the specific legal services the lawyer will provide. For example, the lawyer can agree to provide consultation, legal information, and advice about your case. Or, you can have an arrangement for the lawyer to do discovery and legal research for you, but not represent you in court. With LSR, the amount of billable time for the lawyer will be greatly reduced from what it would cost for him/her to take on your entire case, at great savings to you.
For many divorcing couples, utilizing a divorce planning and facilitation service like Divorce With Dignity (dwdignity.com) combined with Limited Scope Representation by a lawyer for specific legal issues is a perfect blend. The overall cost of the divorce will be greatly reduced when compared to full representation a lawyer, and they still can get legal advice and services on an as-needed basis.
I spoke recently with one of our Divorce With Dignity (DWD) affiliate owners in Florida, Christina Nevins, about LSR and how it can be combined with the services DWD offers.
Under what circumstances would you refer a client to an attorney for Limited Scope Representation?
Only if the issues were particularly complex and/or required that legal advice be given. A situation I can envision in which I would do so might be if my client believed that his or her spouse was hiding assets or if he/she had a question regarding his/her legal rights with regard to the spousal home and it was a more complicated issue than usual. As Divorce With Dignity affiliates, we are not permitted to provide legal advice, so in that case, I would recommend limited scope representation from an attorney.
How can Limited Scope Representation help someone going through a divorce?
LSR can help with pretty much any aspect of divorce: child support, alimony, financial disclosures, etc.
Do you coach your clients on how to deal with lawyers when requesting Limited Scope Representation?
Absolutely. I would only refer them to lawyers that I know are willing to do LSR, but still they need to know how to define what they need, how to discuss the case with the lawyer, and how to keep within the “scope” of LSR.
How do you feel about Divorce With Dignity’s mission to assist people holistically through their divorce by referring them to other services that might help them, in addition to the services you are providing them?
DWD’s mission to assist people holistically through the divorce process is one of the things that first drew me to DWD. Divorces do not occur in a vacuum, and there are so many other areas that need to be addressed: financial, emotional, physical, spiritual, legal, etc. To the extent that I can provide referrals and assistance in those other areas, I feel that I have done a good job. The holistic approach is really, I think, what distinguishes DWD from other divorce services providers.
As Christina said, our holistic approach at Divorce With Dignity truly sets us apart. We understand that divorce affects so many aspects in life, and that our clients often need more than simply having the paperwork produced and filed with the courts. Contact your local Divorce With Dignity affiliate (findaprovider.dwdignity.com) to learn more about how we can assist you – we are ready to help you get through your divorce with all the support you need.
The author of this blog is not an attorney and the information contained in these blogs should not be considered legal advice. The information provided here is based on the experience of the author and some of her clients whose actual names are not mentioned. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of an attorney if you have any legal questions.
