FAQs

• How Long Will my Divorce Take?
• Once I pay You, Will You Return my Calls and Answer my Emails?
• Must I go to Court?
• Who Goes to Court With Me?
• How Much Does a Typical Divorce Cost?
• How am I Billed?
• What if I Can't Afford You?
• Can I get a Refund of my Unused Retainer?

The earliest you can be divorced from your spouse is six months from the date the responding party is served with the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. However, most divorce cases take longer - sometimes up to 24 months depending on the specific factors.

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One of the biggest complaints people have with their lawyer is that they pay a lot of money and never hear from the lawyer, or cannot talk to him/her personally and instead get pawned off on their staff. At Mello & Pickering, LLP, we pride ourselves in our client service. Every attorney has access to email 24/7. Our office policy is to return phone calls within 24 hours and we encourage clients to set up telephone conference appointments to ensure availability.

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In most instances, a case will settle without going to trial. However, there may be instances where a court hearing is necessary (i.e., if there is no agreement for a temporary visitation schedule, a judge will often need to make that call). If a contested hearing is scheduled, the parties are required to be present.

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While the attorney that is primarily working on your case will most likely be the lawyer that accompanies you to Court, there are some situations where it might make sense to have another attorney in the firm make that appearance (based on a specific skill set, for instance). We typically have our associates attend routine court appearances, such as Case Management Conferences. In any instance, you can be rest assured that the attorney that accompanies you is well prepared for your hearing and the issues for consideration.

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There is not a typical cost for a divorce, as each situation is truly unique. After a consultation with one of our attorneys we can quote you a retainer for your action that is fine-tuned to your specific needs. We can also attempt to mitigate your costs by offering unbundled or limited scope services.

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A retainer is required up front and deposited into an Interest Only Lawyer Trust Account. You will receive an itemized billing statement once per month detailing the work done on your case for that period. The amount owed is then withdrawn from your Trust Account. We require a minimum retainer balance be kept current in all cases. That amount is determined at the in office consultation.

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If you are unable to continue to fund the litigation, there are options available to you. We do offer unbundling as part of our service.

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Any unused portion of your retainer is refunded to you.

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