Family law

[Sparky]

Is there any way of getting legal counsel without a huge retainer?

[Zigfried]

Denver or Boulder Legal Aid depending on your circumstances.

[Sparky]

Let me rephrase. I am willing to pay. I just don't have a few grand for a retainer.

[Waywardson174]

The retainer is typically an insurance policy against nonpayment. Just about every lawyer will ask for a large one up front. If you go to a private attorney or small firm, they will have more freedom to make exceptions or a more palatable arrangement with you. Good luck with the case sparky.

[spqrzilla]

Its my practice to negotiate a retainer to cover my expenses, court costs and a good bulk of the time I expect to bill. If you are an established client, the retainer goes down. If you don't look like a good payer, look flaky or if you just look like a pain in the backside, the retainer goes up.

Family law attorneys often find people uninterested in paying their bill after the case is over. Nobody comes out of divorce / child custody cases happy, and unhappy people are slow pay.

If you want to convince an attorney to take your case with a smaller retainer, convince him that you are a reliable payer.

[sniper7]

not sure, but I'll PM you one of my good friends who is a family law lawyer and you can talk to her.

[Ashton]

You've got to pay to play. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Not saying it's right but it's just how the dice landed.