Unbundling Legal Services
What does it mean?Unbundling legal services is a process whereby a client hires a lawyer to perform only specified tasks agreed upon by both the client and lawyer.
Why do it?
Unbundling allows a client to represent herself in divorce, but hire a lawyer for a limited scope of representation. Limited scope representation can help a self-represented woman to:
a. Prepare her documents legibly, completely, and accurately;
b. Prepare her case based on a better understanding of the law and court procedures than she would if left on her own;
c. Obtain representation for portions of her case, such as court hearings, even if she cannot afford full representation; and
d. Obtain assistance in understanding, preparing, and enforcing court orders
Unbundling is chosen by many to control divorce costs and the outcome of the case. For more information read shlep: Self Help Law ExPress’s “universal unbundling unfolds in California.”
WORDS OF CAUTION: If you unbundle legal services, you must clearly understand the limited role your lawyer will be playing in your case, that you are not being fully represented by the lawyer, and you are responsible for doing anything and everything else in your case that your lawyer was not hired to handle.
Special thanks to David Giacalone, editor and host of shlep: Self Help Law ExPress, for providing a portion of this content (quotations omitted).
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Posted by ModDiva on February 13th, 2007 filed in Working With Lawyers |
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