HONOLULU:

Our initial consultation with you generally lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. We do an initial review of your documents, discuss the law, and outline the possible routes to final resolution.

We handle a relatively small number of cases and this consultation is also an opportunity to see if our firm is a good fit for you and your case. 

We find, and our clients agree, that this is one of the most valuable hours a client can spend, as it brings order to a daunting process. We charge a flat $400 + GET for this meeting.

HILO: 

In addition to the initial consultation offered in Honolulu for traditional full representation, for Hilo we also offer a Limited Legal Advice consultation. This consultation is to provide advice and guidance to those representing themselves in their family law matter but finding that they need some legal advice along the way. This Limited Legal Advice consultation lasts for two hours. You continue to represent yourself after this meeting and we do not handle your court filings, communicate with the other side or their attorney, or otherwise represent you. That means there is no retainer necessary, just payment for the consultation, which is at a lowered rate of $550 + GET for two hours. 

You should fill out the Asset and Debt Statement and the Income and Expense Statement which can be found on the Hawaii Family Court website or emailed to you by our office as well as the Client Intake form we email to you. If you do not have time to fill out the forms, look over them and be aware of what information will be helpful in our meeting. 

If any court documents have been filed in your case or a related case, bring them to your meeting.

We also ask that if possible, you bring a tax return and  and other documents that affect your case, such as written agreements between the parties, documents that substantiate your claims or the other side’s claims, and other documents that you think are important.

Before we can represent you, we need a signed retainer agreement and an initial retainer. The amount of retainer needed will vary according to your case, with the standard divorce case retainer being $10,000-15,000, higher in cases involving businesses, trusts, interstate issues, and other such matters. We bill against your retainer and if it is being depleted and your case is ongoing, we may require an additional retainer. The amount of the initial retainer is not an estimate of actual cost of your case, as each case is individual and depends on various factors.