Limited Scope Representation
To mitigate the likelihood of unexpected fees and manage the costs, you may want to consider a limited scope representation. A limited scope representation case provides you with certainty regarding the cost of your case. It is a way for an attorney to help you by handling part of your legal matter while you represent yourself on the rest of your case. For example in family law cases with issues involving divorce, custody, and child support you may choose one of the following options:
- Hire an attorney to assist you with the custody matter only and you can handle the remaining issues yourself;
- Hire an attorney to handle each legal service separately; or
- Consult with an attorney at certain points in your case where legal expertise is needed while you handle everything in the case yourself.
With limited scope representation, you may be able to handle some of the case yourself but need legal assistance with certain matters or tasks. The attorney can help you decide what portions of the case you will handle and what portions of the case the attorney will handle. Some areas of the law are extremely technical, and it would be difficult for a non-attorney to effectively handle the case without an attorney. Among these are pension rights, stock options and business interests. You will almost certainly need the assistance of an attorney if your case involves any of these issues.