Costs & Types of Divorce & Child Support Representation | Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office

Fees & Options

Led by firm founder and Arizona certified family law specialist Bill Bishop, the legal team at Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office, P.C. is committed to maintaining open communication and making our clients part of our team during their family law or divorce case. We have heard too many stories about attorneys that do things without their client’s consent. That does not fly in our firm. We recognize that the cost of legal services for clients can be expensive, and we always consider a clients’ best interests, financial constraints and preferences when assisting them with their legal problems.

Quality Representation

The old axiom that you get what you pay for is often true with regard to attorneys. You may find attorneys that charge a little bit less per hour than others, but have limited experience. Attorneys who have less experience sometimes spend more time on a case (or miss important issues), thus you may spend as much or even more for a less experienced attorney. Some attorneys seem to conduct more discovery, document reviews and other tasks without their client’s consent and often do things in their cases that are absolutely unnecessary. Our attorneys will discuss strategy up front, what needs to be done for your specific case, and will not bog you down with irrelevant wrong turns and U-turns. You do not need to pay exorbitant fees for quality representation.

(See our tips on saving fees and getting the most out of your representation.)

How many times have you heard someone say that their attorney messed up their case? Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law office suggests that you interview more than one attorney until you find someone that you are comfortable with and have confidence in. We believe that you will find that our firm will fit your needs. You need to have a comfort level with your attorney. You need an attorney who has a strong knowledge of the law and the court system. You need an attorney with a game plan. You need to feel comfortable that your attorney is staying on top of your case and knows the facts. You need to be able to contact your attorney without unreasonable delays. You need an attorney who is on your side and is fighting for your rights.

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For clients who are more budget-conscious or who have restricted resources, we provide several different levels of legal assistance

At Bishop Law Office P.C., we represent people going through a divorce or who have other family law concerns. To sit down to discuss the legal fees that we charge, contact one of our offices in Scottsdale, Phoenix or Tempe, Arizona.

Consultation Fee

The firm will provide you an initial consultation at a reduced rate. Your initial consult fee is $150.00 for the first hour (pro-rated if less than one hour) for attorneys Allyson Del Vecchio, Dan Beeks, Shannon Brien, Erik Berkstrom (contract counsel) and Tawnia Wienke (contract counsel) . The consult rate for attorney Bill Bishop is $300.00 for the first hour (pro-rated if less than one hour). Should you retain our firm on a full representation basis, you will receive credit for your consult fee up to one hour so that such consultation is free.

Fee Agreement / Billing Statements

When you purchase groceries, you receive a receipt, which lists each and every item you purchased. How about legal services billing? Unbelievably, some firms still do not provide their clients with sufficiently descriptive and itemized billing statements, but instead they engage in block billing (i.e. multiple tasks and services are combined under one time entry).

Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office, P.C. provides its clients with monthly-itemized billing statements. The billing statements describe specifically what services were rendered on your behalf each day, and the time spent on such services. That way you can keep track of each item for which you are charged. You will know you are being billed reasonable fees for work you know has actually been done on your behalf. This enables you to ask questions about your fees if you so desire. Clients should know what they are paying for.

No Charge to Discuss Fee & Terms

One of the biggest insults is if a client calls his or her attorney to ask about a charge and then gets billed for the call. Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office, P.C. will never bill you to discuss any questions you may have regarding any of the fees or costs charged on your account.

Not all attorneys provide detailed written fee agreements to their clients. This can lead to confusion and very expensive surprises. Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office P.C. will provide you with a written fee agreement up front. Our attorneys will discuss the fee structure with you in order to avoid any surprises or confusion.

Retainer Fees

You do not have to pay a huge retainer fee at Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office P.C. to obtain quality legal representation.

At many firms, one is required to pay a large retainer up front. Such retainer fees are required by law to be deposited to the law firm’s trust account. The interest on such funds does not go to the client, but rather goes to programs sponsored by the State Bar of Arizona. Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office P.C. provides for a smaller deposit than many firms.

In some cases, no deposit is required at all. Some firms also include a “non-refund” clause in their fee agreements. Such firms state that a certain portion of your retainer is “earned upon receipt.” This means that the firm may get to keep your money regardless of whether they do the work. Bishop, Del Vecchio & Beeks Law Office P.C. does not do this. Our fee agreement makes it clear that we do not get paid until the work is done. See “Representation Options” above.