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Can
I Consult with an Equine Attorney about My Legal
Matter?
At
Equine Legal Solutions (ELS), we offer free, 15-minute
telephone consultations with an equine attorney on any
horse related legal issue concerning
the laws of California, Washington or New York.
How
Do I Schedule a Consultation?
Consultation
with an equine attorney is by appointment only.
Please call us toll free at (866) 385-2972 to
schedule a consultation appointment.
Our attorneys have a limited number of
consultation appointments each day and therefore your
consultation appointment will be typically scheduled a
few days in advance.
If you have a matter that requires immediate
attention, we do keep a waiting list for
cancellations. Prior
to your appointment, an attorney will review the
information you have provided to our receptionist.
If it appears that your legal matter does not concern
California, Washington or New York, the states in
which we are licensed to practice, we will call back
to cancel your appointment and refer you to an
attorney in the appropriate state.
What
Information Will I Need to Have Available When I Call
to Schedule the Consultation?
Our
receptionists will ask for the following information:
your full name and contact information, the
full name of the opposing party (if the matter is a
dispute or potential dispute) and a brief description
of the matter. You
must provide us with all requested information in
order to schedule a consultation. Please expect to
spend 5-10 minutes on the phone.
Note that our receptionists are not equine
attorneys and therefore cannot give legal advice.
Will
My Information Be Kept Confidential?
Yes.
The information that you provide our
receptionists and the information that you provide our
equine attorney during the consultation will be kept
completely confidential.
Why
Do You Need to Know Who the Other Party Is?
Equine
Legal Solutions is a law firm specializing in equine
law. Because
few lawyers have experience in equine law, we are
often contacted by both parties in a matter.
Legal ethics rules prohibit ELS from speaking
with anyone regarding a legal matter where ELS may
have a conflict of interest.
If you choose not to disclose the name of the
opposing party in your matter, we will be unable to
schedule a consultation for you.
What
Is a Conflict of Interest?
Conflicts
of interest typically occur when one of the parties is
already a client of the firm, or has already contacted
the firm for a consultation on the same matter.
What
Happens if the Other Party Has Already Contacted ELS?
Prior
to your appointment, an equine attorney will review
the information that you have provided and determine
whether there may be a conflict of interest for our
firm. If
we determine that there may be a conflict of interest,
our receptionist will call you, cancel the appointment
and inform you of the potential conflict.
Please note that we cannot provide any
information about the nature of the conflict, only
that a potential conflict of interest may exist and
therefore we cannot speak with you about your matter.
What
Happens if My Consultation Takes Longer than 15
Minutes?
Because
ELS typically schedules consultations back-to-back, an
equine attorney cannot talk longer than 15 minutes
during your consultation.
However, we find 15 minutes is typically
sufficient for our equine attorney to answer your
initial questions and determine whether your case is
appropriate for Equine Legal Solutions to handle.
Can
I Fax or Email Information for My Consultation?
Please
do not fax or email documents or other information in
advance of your consultation.
Other than the information collected by our
receptionists for the consultation, our equine
attorney will not review any materials prior to the
consultation.
What
Isn’t Included in the Initial Consultation?
Our
equine attorney does not review documents, such as
contracts, even if they pertain to your matter.
Our equine attorney also does not review
emails, letters and other correspondence.
Legal research and review of websites and horse
advertisements are also not included.
When such review or research appears necessary
or advisable to reach a sound assessment of your
matter, our equine attorney will provide you with an
estimate of charges during your consultation and you
can then determine how to proceed.
Will
My Consultation Be with an Equine Attorney or a
Paralegal?
Your
consultation will be with an equine attorney.
What
Can I Expect During My Consultation?
One
of our equine attorneys will call you at the
designated time and ask questions about the
information that you have provided (to make the most
of your consultation, please try to keep your
questions and descriptions as brief as possible).
During the consultation, we ask that you be reasonably
free of distractions and that you be available to talk
when we call. If
there is another person with pertinent questions about
your matter, such as your spouse, please directly
include them in the call rather than having them ask
questions in the background.
We understand that consultations by cell phone
are often necessary, but please try to be in a
location where you have reliable reception.
If our equine attorney cannot complete the
consultation due to poor cell phone reception,
interruptions or other reasons, the call may have to
be terminated. If
you choose to reschedule a terminated call, a
rescheduling fee of $50 will apply – see
Consultation Cancellation Policy.
What
Will the Outcome of My Consultation Be?
If
it is possible to answer your question during the
consultation, our equine attorney will happily do
that. If
Equine Legal Solutions can assist you with your horse
related legal matter, our equine attorney will discuss
options for handling your case and costs.
If Equine Legal Solutions cannot assist you, we
will try to provide you with alternatives.
How
Do I Retain Equine Legal Solutions to Help Me?
Before
taking on new clients, ELS requires a free, 15-minute
initial consultation by telephone.
During that consultation, our equine attorney
will determine whether ELS has a conflict of interest
regarding your matter and whether we can assist you.
If we believe we can assist you, we will
outline what we believe the next logical steps are,
and provide you with a verbal estimate of costs.
If you decide to retain us, ELS will send you
an engagement letter, which is our contract with you
that says what ELS will do and how much it will cost.
What
Will the Retainer Cost?
Like
most equine law firms, Equine Legal Solutions requires
a retainer from new clients before starting work on
any matter. We
set the amount of the retainer based upon the nature
of your matter and how much work we estimate your
matter will require.
The amount may be as little as a few hundred
dollars or as much as several thousand dollars.
You may pay the retainer via check, Visa or
MasterCard or Paypal, and we also require that you
provide us your Visa or MasterCard information for
future charges. The
retainer will be credited toward your legal bills as
they come due – it is not a fee just to hire us.
What
if Equine Legal Solutions Can’t Help Me?
If,
during the consultation, our equine attorney
determines that Equine Legal Solutions cannot assist
you further, we will try to provide you with a
referral to another attorney.
In some cases, ELS may not have an appropriate
referral, and we will provide you with suggestions for
finding a qualified attorney in your area.
For some matters, it may not be cost-effective
to hire an attorney at all, and when we believe that
is the case, we will try to provide you with
suggestions.
If
ELS Refers Me to Another Attorney, Will ELS Get a
Referral Fee?
No.
Although referral fees among attorneys are
relatively commonplace, ELS neither accepts nor pays
referral fees.
What
Kinds of Cases Does ELS Typically Take?
ELS
handles only horse related legal matters.
We routinely draft all types of horse related
contracts, handle horse related disputes and provide
incorporation services for horse related businesses.
For existing clients, we also occasionally
handle small non-horse related matters within our
legal expertise. During
your consultation, our equine attorney will determine
whether ELS can assist you with your legal matter.
Are
There Horse Related Matters that ELS Doesn’t Handle?
Yes.
ELS does not accept the following types of
cases: veterinary
malpractice, farrier malpractice, criminal defense
(e.g., defense of animal cruelty charges) or personal
injury (e.g., people injured by horses). We
also typically do not represent boarders in disputes
with boarding facilities, simply because so many of
our clients are boarding stables.
What
If I Need Follow Up Advice After My Consultation?
Please
call ELS toll-free at 866-385-2972 and relay your
question to our receptionists.
If your question is very simple in nature and
can be answered with a quick email, you will likely
receive an email response from an equine attorney.
For more detailed questions, we will either
suggest that you retain Equine Legal Solutions to
assist you, or refer you to another attorney.
What
If I Need to Reschedule My Consultation?
If
you call at least 24 hours in advance to reschedule
your consultation, we will be happy to reschedule your
consultation at no charge.
If you miss your consultation or call us less
than 24 hours in advance to reschedule your
consultation, a rescheduling fee of $50 will apply.
If we charge a rescheduling fee, you will
receive an invoice from us and must pay the
rescheduling fee 24 hours prior to the start of your
new appointment.
What
If I am Late for My Consultation?
If
you are not available when we call at the appointed
time, you may call back within the 15-minute time
period for the consultation, but your consultation
will be conducted in the remaining amount of time
available within that 15 minutes.
If you call back after the 15-minute window,
ELS will reschedule your consultation and a
rescheduling fee will apply.
Why
Do You Charge to Reschedule Missed or Late
Consultations?
Our
equine attorneys have a limited number of consultation
appointments available and typically have a waiting
list for cancellations.
When you miss an appointment or do not cancel
at least a day in advance, a horse person in need has
missed the opportunity to have that appointment. |
