Drake, Phillips, Kuenzli & Clark

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Appointments

We prefer to work by appointment. Agreeing on the date and hour to get together allows both of us to make better use of our time. It is more efficient for us and more economical for you if we meet at our office. If due to illness, disability, or other reasons, you are unable to come to our office, we can make arrangements to meet in the most convenient place for you. Our regular hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. If your situation requires, an appointment can be arranged for other days and times. If you are confronted with a legal emergency, you won't need any appointment. Just give us a call!

Selecting a Lawyer

We will help you select the right member of the firm to handle your work. Contact any of our lawyers whom you know, or call the office number and speak with the receptionist. When you explain the type of legal matter that concerns you, you will be referred to someone in our firm who is well qualified for that type of work. We will introduce you at your convenience to the lawyer we believe will be able to handle your legal need most effectively. Please review the "Attorneys" page to learn about our attorney's areas of practice. If you consider one of our lawyers to be your lawyer, continue to do so and feel free to consult with him or her at any time. We are here to serve you!

Attorney-Client

The relationship between a client and his or her attorney requires complete trust and confidence between them. This is usually not a problem. You should understand, however, you are not obligated to retain our firm and we are not obligated to take your case if we do not feel comfortable with each other. Your work will be done in complete confidence, and no one will ever learn from us what you carry to our office. We will try to keep you informed about the progress of your work as we go along. Sometimes you will hear from us by telephone, and sometimes by memorandum or an information copy of a letter we send out or receive. Feel free to call with questions, if you have not heard from us or do not understand. Regardless of the type of case, each one is important to us.

Our Work

When you retain our firm, there should be a clear understanding between us about the extent of the work we are authorized to do. We will discuss the types of legal remedies or legal work required by the situation and the estimated time and legal expense involved. It is a good time to be practical. If, as the work progresses, there are unexpected developments which result in a longer time period or greater expense than anticipated, we will tell you when we recognize this situation.

Fees

In most cases, our fees are based upon the time and responsibility involved. Some work is done on an hourly basis. For other matters, a flat fee is appropriate. Some cases, such as personal injury litigation, are handled on a contingent fee basis, whereby the fee for legal services is a percentage of the amount of money obtained for you. You should discuss the fee arrangement with the attorney during your first conference at our law firm. In some matters, he or she will be able to give you an estimate of the fee. In lengthy matters, our fee will be billed periodically; in other matters, the fee is payable upon completion of the work.