Unbundled Services

Unbundling legal services is a way to limit the level of attorney representation and is a different way to define the relationship between client and attorney. In the past, clients often hired attorneys without really understanding what was going to be involved in their case. They were often surprised to learn how complicated the matter turned out to be, how much it cost, and how the attorney handled the case. Yet, they also knew the case was too complex or challenging to attempt without the guidance of an attorney. In the last few years, especially in family law cases, it is becoming more common for clients to try to take more control of their own lives. Limited representation is one approach to do so.

Since our office does not do any contested litigation, most of our clients are involved in some level of limited representation. Unbundling legal services allows an attorney to enter into a limited representation of a client and allows the client to control what the attorney does. Rather than being responsible for the whole case, the attorney is responsible only for the parts of the case that the client hires the attorney to do. The attorney may give advice only, may help the client prepare paperwork, or may do some other specific task. The client remains primarily responsible for meeting deadlines, appearing in court (if appropriate), or responding to discovery requests by the other side.

Not every client is appropriate for unbundled services. There are some screening steps we need to take and we need to be clear with each other about exactly what we will do and what you will do. But it is one way we work with clients to increase access to the legal system and conflict resolution and to give clients more power in their own resolution.

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Healers of Conflicts Law & Conflict Resolution Center
Mail to: P.O. Box 306, Asheville, North Carolina 28802 * Telephone: 828-253-3355 
jkimwright@healersofconflicts.com