Free Consultations For Divorce - You Get What You Pay For

Author: Florida Women's Law Group
Date: Nov 01 2021

 Free Consultations for Divorce – You Get What You Pay For

When Florida Women’s Law Group was established, we made the decision to only offer paid consultations.  We decided this because we value our clients and their time and truly want to help them.  The saying “you get what you pay for” directly applies to a free consultation, meaning you will leave that meeting with nothing but wasted time.

What to Expect in a Free Consultation

It is tempting to want a free consultation, I mean, it’s free!  But there is a catch, here’s what you get with a free consultation:

• You Most Likely Will NOT Talk to An Attorney – They will not tell you when you schedule your appointment, but you will most likely meet with an intake person, legal assistant, a clerk or a paralegal. An attorney’s asset is their time and expertise, why would they give that away for free?  When you get to a free consult, you will not meet with an attorney but a staff member who is just there to sell you on their firm.
  
  
• Will NOT Get Any Legal Advice – The only way you can receive legal advice is if you are a client. Without paying a fee there is not an attorney-client relationship.  It is against an attorney’s insurance and the Florida State Bar to provide legal advice for free.  Therefore, in a free consult you will not receive any legal advice specific to your case.  They will most likely not even ask for the details on your case.
  
  
• Given Basic Divorce Information – Since they are unable to give legal advice all you will receive is general information on divorce. You probably walked in with that same information from your Google searches.  You will leave the meeting with no more clarity than when you entered.
  
  
• The Hard Sell – Your meeting will be the hard sell on why you should choose their firm. Your time will not be spent discussing your specific situation and the options available to you but selling you on their services.
  
  
• Free Consults as a Strategy – It is not uncommon for a spouse to meet with many attorneys for a free consult as a strategy to make it hard for the other spouse to get legal representation. Once an attorney has met with you, they cannot meet with the other party, it becomes a conflict of interest.  With free consultations there is nothing stopping them from seeing as many attorneys as they like and limiting your choices.

What to Expect in a Paid Consultation

If you are considering divorce, you are likely scared and overwhelmed.  We understand that and when you meet with us, we want to provide you with information, answers and advice.  Here’s what you can expect with a paid consultation:

• Meet with an Attorney – You will have uninterrupted time with an attorney. We will review the specifics of your case, ask you questions and answer any questions you have.
  
  
• Attorney-Client Relationship Established – With a fee being paid, an attorney-client relationship has been established which means that an attorney can provide you with tangible legal advice. It also means that everything you tell us and we discuss is confidential.  Even if you decide to not retain with us, what we discussed remains confidential.
  
  
• Advice, Strategy and Options – During the consultation, our attorney will ask you questions and get more details on your situation. We analyze the facts of your case and provide strategy and legal advice for you.  We also explore available options and help determine the best course of action for you.  This strategy session is designed to provide you with usable information that will allow you to make informed decisions on how you want to proceed with your case.
  
  

We do not want to waste your time, we want to help get you where you want to be.  Free consults offer you no advice, strategy or options, just a hard sell on their firm.  As we said earlier, an attorney’s asset is their time and expertise.  Our attorneys have many years of education and experience and provide a high level of professionalism and service.  Would you want your attorney to take time away from your case to meet with a potential new client for free?  That’s time you are paying for, and it’s being used on someone looking for free legal advice. 

When deciding between a free consult and one you must pay for, remember that you get what you pay for, and few things are free.  At our consults, you will meet with a skilled attorney and receive advice, strategy and options on how best to proceed with your case.      

At Florida Women’s Law Group, we have the experience, resources and skills to provide you with empathetic and compassionate legal service.  We are here to provide legal advice and the assistance you may need throughout your divorce.   We represent women just like you to help you get through this and onto a better and happier life.