If you needed any more proof that the courts are stacked with greedy, corrupt and fanatical judges/lawyers…..that care only about money and not about helping good parents gain access to fair and equitable treatment, look no further than this email I received after requesting a mere consultation [below]:
Subject: RE: Law Offices of David C. Shea –Mr. Dooley,
To prepare for a trial in mid-November could be quite problematic; I’d have to put off other matters, and it may be too late to do some of the things I typically do to prepare to try a case. Because of this, I’d have to charge you a premium over and above my typical fee. My regular fee is $225 per hour. I do not charge flat fees in family court matters.
To take this on at this point, I’d also charge an additional non-refundable engagement fee of $5,000. Since it is already scheduled for trial, payment would be required in full at the time of representation. I’d require $7,500 in my trust account for billable time (if this was not all spent you would get part of it back). Thus, I’d need $12,500 to begin to represent you.
Most of my practice is divorce and custody. I have tried a number of cases in family court. I don’t keep track of how many, but I have lost only twice. I’ve tried one case with Judge Anderson, and my client fared very well in that case.
If you’d like a consultation, my hourly fee is $225 an hour. I do not give free consultations. It appears that even if you continue to represent yourself, you may be in need of some advice. I’d be happy to answer all of your questions then. You would need to bring copies of all of the pleadings filed so far in your case, as well as any Orders that have been issued.
If you’d like a consultation, please call my office to schedule one.
Regards,
David C. Shea
Attorney at Law
Certified Family Court Mediator
P.O. Box 5985
1226 Pickens St., Suite 202
Columbia, SC 29250-5985
……and my initial email requesting help. note that all i am asking for is a one time consultation and for the atty to sit with me for a mere 3 hours during the final hearing……….
—–Original Message—–
From: dooleyce@………com
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 1:07 PM
To: david@………com
Subject: Law Offices of David C. Shea –Law Offices of David C. Shea –
Greetings…
My name is C…..D…… and I may be interested in your legal services. I discovered your practice by researching the South Carolina Bar Association’s website and you came up as a reputable child custody/family court lawyer.
However, my particular case may be a little different than you may be used to, as most of the legal documents and filings have already been filed and paid for, as I initially filed & litigated Pro Se [self-represented] in my disputed custody/visitation case.
Personally, I live in Charlotte NC, but it just so happens that Spartanburg County has jurisdiction over my family court case, bc the mother moved from here to there and has established residence there with our son.
My first question to you is this…. since I have only a single [and final] hearing date set for mid-November, which will span from 2-3 hours, how might we work together primarily in this regard? As I mentioned before, I initially filed Pro Se, bc of the costs involved primarily, but after the last court appearance it appeared to me that I might need someone [an official atty] to help me in my case at the final hearing so that I don’t execute any wrong motions/moves in that hearing.
For your info here is what I’ve done so far:
-Filed the custody case with an official summons/complaint/remedy/relief sought and counter answer to her and her atty.-Filed the previous custody order from another state there and most all evidence I will be presenting in court.
-Offered her and her atty an amicable Co-Parenting/Custody agreement/arrangement that is more than fair and equitable, of which they have refused to negotiate with me on.
-Prepared and researched all the SC Domestic Relations Children’s Code of SC Law Statutes, federal/state laws and documents relevant to my case online and at the local SC law libraries.
-Finally, I’ve prepared most all the evidence & witnesses that I will be presenting at the final hearing.
As you can see, I already taken much upon myself in my case, but I feel that I may need someone of your caliber to represent me, so that I don’t make any more technical mistakes, as I will not accept anything less than what I am looking to obtain in my case.
Here are several questions that you may be able to answer before we proceed, as they are of great importance to me:
– Have you or any members of your firm ever represented my partner or anyone associated with my partner? [Partner = T…. T…… + Her Atty = Gary M Wood]
– Do you handle disputed visitation/custody cases?
If not, whom might you recommend that could represent me?
– How many of these cases have you handled?
– How many were before the judge who will hear my case?
[Judge Georgia Vaught Anderson]
– What kind of decisions does this judge usually make?
– Have you ever appealed a case, and if so, what were the issue(s) appealed?
– How many of these appealed cases did you win?
– What are your fees?
– What work do these fees cover?
– Is this an hourly fee or a flat fee for the entire case?
– Is there an additional charge for appearing in court?
– Do you ever charge less for people who do not have much money?
– Do you charge a retainer? How much?
– What does it cover? Do you refund all or part of the retainer if my case ends up being dropped or not taking much time?
– Are there other expenses that I may have to pay? What are they and how much are they likely to be?
– Are there ways that I can assist you so as to keep down my costs?
– Will you send me a copy of letters, documents, and court papers that you file or receive regarding my case?
– Do you charge extra if the case gets more complicated or we have to go back to court?
– Will you require that I have paid everything that I owe you before you will go to court with me or finish my case?
– Are you willing to work out a payment plan with me?
– Will you put our agreement about fees and what work you will perform in writing?My apologies for that exhaustive list of questions, but I want to cover all bases before we proceed.
Please get back in touch with me as soon as possible, as I look forward to speaking with you!
Sincerely,
Me