Unbundled Legal Services

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.

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.