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Gevurtz Menashe

PDX 503.227.1515
WA 360.823.0410

Unbundled Legal Services

Limited Scope Legal Services
Today, it’s more common than ever for clients to represent themselves in their own legal matters. Because of this evolving trend, the courts are taking steps to make the legal process more accessible, including providing standard forms for pleadings, facilitators to review forms to help reduce error, along with booklets and websites to explain the basics of family law. We can help.

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Limited Scope Legal Services

Unbundled Legal Services is a method of addressing a client’s legal needs based on a limited scope of our attorney involvement to specific tasks, specific methods, or certain issues. The client will be responsible for doing everything else. This method allows individuals to access (and pay for) a defined scope of the work. As part of this process, Gevurtz Menashe is proud to offer unbundled legal services for our clients. For more information, give us a call us at 503-227-1515

Benefits of Using Unbundled Legal Services In Oregon & Washington

In any legal dispute the stakes are high. It is possible to make mistakes that can be costly to repair. Individuals who try to handle the complexities of their own divorce, without the help of a lawyer, run the risk of overlooking factors that a lawyer (and a judge) would find significant. On the other hand, some people prefer unbundled legal services, whether due to the financial cost, or because they simply prefer to manage the case themselves.

Because “Unbundled legal services” is a way for you as the client to tailor your investment in a lawyer according to your own resources you and your lawyer will both want to carefully define your respective responsibilities. This ensures all expectations are set up front, and in the end, everything gets done, well.

Another type of “unbundled legal services” is where the client and lawyer decide to forego some option in what is otherwise full representation: not to depose the other party, for example; to accept available information for the value of an item of property rather than arranging for a formal appraisal.

Unbundled Legal Services v. Traditional Attorney Representation

Traditional attorney representation in a divorce action, for example, includes communicating with the client, advising the client as to legal rights and responsibilities, preparing appropriate pleadings, engaging in adequate discovery, communicating with the opposing party (or counsel), analyzing facts as the facts become known, negotiating on the client’s behalf, appearing and advocating in court for the client. For a continuous period of time, perhaps longer than a year, your lawyer is authorized to speak and act for you in your legal action.

When a prospective client meets with an attorney for an initial consultation, provides information, receives legal advice, and decides not to return to hire the attorney to represent them but instead to represent himself or herself thereafter, that consultation is an example of an unbundled legal service. Other examples of “unbundling” include: hiring the attorney for further advice from time to time; hiring the attorney to do specific legal research and provide them with the results; hiring the attorney to review pleadings or help to draft pleadings; hiring the attorney to review a proposed settlement; hiring the attorney to provide full representation on one of several issues but not any of the others.

Contact Gevurtz Menashe Family Law Attorneys Today

Bottom line is you should get the legal services you want, when you most need them, at a cost you can afford.

Gevurtz Menashe has been serving family law and estate planning clients in the Pacific Northwest for over 40 years. If you need legal help, either with your family law or estate planning matters, call us today at 503-227-1515 in Portland, at 360-823-0410 in Vancouver, or contact us online.

Call our Portland, OR offices at: 503-227-1515
and our Vancouver, WA office at 360-823-0410
or contact us to request a consultation.