You Do Not Create an Attorney-Client Relationship with Me without Paying a Retainer Fee
By Glen R. Graham, Attorney at Law, Tulsa, OK http://www.glenrgraham.com/
If you call me for a fee quote, then I will do my best to give you an estimate with certain limitations. However, if you want accurate (correct) legal advice, then you will need to schedule an appointment and to pay a fee for that. At this time, I am unable to offer free legal advice to everyone that is calling my office. I will schedule an appointment and charge you for an initial consultation but I am not offering free legal advice.
If you are calling me for a non-legal problem, then I may be unable to assist you.
I recommend that you call 3-5 other professionals and if you are still wanting to talk to me, then call me back after you talk to other people. We can schedule an appointment for you to come to my office and pay me a fee for the legal advice which you are seeking to obtain from me. It is on a case by case basis. Some cases require legal research and some matters can be answered immediately.
I do not have an immediate answer to every legal problem. Some matters do require legal research for a correct answer. I believe if the advice and information is valuable and if you want to be certain of the answer, then you should pay for that information.
Do not expect something for nothing. You DO NOT CREATE AN ATTORNEY - CLIENT relationship with me by calling me and asking for FREE LEGAL ADVICE. I DECLINE TO ENTER INTO AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT A RETAINER FEE.
Multiple times a week and sometimes a day, people are calling me with legal and non-legal questions. It is almost like I am the "the great wizard or master" and supposedly by calling me people expect free terrific fantastic advice on every problem in their life. I am a businessman and an attorney. I have deleted ALL OFFERS of FREE ADVICE. This is my new policy. You call me and want a FEE QUOTE. I will tell you my best estimate with limitations. You want legal advice, then you will need to schedule an appointment with my office. I will tell you that depending upon your legal or mental or social (non-legal) problem, that you may want to call other professionals and that I normally recommend you call at least 3-5 other professionals before you schedule an appointment with my office. It appears that people will call an attorney for social advice or advice that a psychologist, friend, minister or non-legal professional should be providing. It also appears that people will call for free information about anything and everything. There are thousands, millions, and maybe billions of people that will call for FREE advice. I decline to talk to all you and I do not have an answer to all of your problems, some of which may be non-legal problems.
2 comments:
Right on - tell it like it is. Your time and advice are your stock in trade. Somebody who tries to weasel either one from you without payment is no better than a shoplifter.
When I first started practicing law I was literally florred with the number of people calling looking for free guidance on legal and non-legal matters (including a lot of retail customer service issues).
In many instances callers would seek permission for some far flung idea, or would seek forgiveness for some prior transgression. Free advice callers rarely, if ever, turn into fee paying clients. Further if they are disatisfied with the advice it may result in complaints, and if satisfied it results in them referring all neighbors\friends\family for free advice.
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