Frequently Asked Questions

Schedule a consultation with our office either by phone at 240-309-4179 or online.

In general, consultation fees are $200 for a one-hour consultation. Criminal law cases have a $50 consultation fee for a 30-minute consultation. Please call to ask about your case specifically.

Prior to the consultation, you will receive an intake form to fill out regarding your issues. The attorney will review this form with you and answer questions regarding your potential case. The attorney will also describe the potential avenues that you could pursue. They will also describe the details on how to retain the services of WMS Lawyers.

The retainer agreement is the contract between you and the attorney for services and fees to be paid. The retainer fee is an initial set amount; which is based on an hourly rate multiplied by the number of anticipated hours required. The retainer is paid when you contract with the attorney for services. The retainer fee is then placed into a trust account. If a case is high conflict, you may need to make an additional deposit into the trust account.

A trust account is a non-interest-bearing account where your money sits until earned by the attorney. At WMS lawyers, we invoice monthly. Any fees earned are then transferred out of your trust account.

Depending on the length of the case, additional fees many be accrued which will need to be paid. Many factors affect the overall cost while the case is ongoing. The initial retainer fee is the best good faith estimate but cannot be exact because things develop as the case moves forward, and can incur additional expenses.

Depending on the complexity of the case, the length of time will vary. At your consult the attorney can give you an estimate of the length of time the case may take.