Firm Policies
What is a retainer fee?
A retainer fee is an up-front fee paid to the attorney to “retain” the exclusive use of his services. In our case, this is usually a non-refundable fee paid at the beginning of the case, which secures our services in certain actions. For example, if you have retained us in a domestic case, your retainer fee will be applied toward initial file review and the typical actions taken at the beginning of the case, such as: the filing of a complaint; other pleadings necessary to initial hearings in expedited child support, mediation referrals, and other matters of that sort. To the extent that your case goes on beyond the initial hearing, there may be additional fees and we will itemize later services performed.
We should have a written fee agreement and, if you do not receive one for your review at the initial consultation, please ask and we will furnish one immediately.
How do I stay in touch with my lawyer?
Lawyers usually have two problems: They get lots of calls and they are usually not in the office during the day. The combination can often be frustrating for clients. At Thomas B. Kakassy, P.A. we have provided many different ways to contact us.
Leave a message. At Thomas B. Kakassy, P.A. we check our messages every half hour or so. The easiest way to get a message to us is to leave as complete a voicemail communication as possible. Talk to the legal assistants. Amy can be reached at Ext. 101 and will be happy to help you and make an appointment for you. Rita can be reached at Ext. 103. Email Us. For general questions, please be sure to email us at ThomasKakassy@Carolina.RR.com; this will receive the quickest response. Try calling around 5pm. Most days we are usually in the office at that time. Make an appointment. We do not take walk-ins, so as to be fair to our clients with appointments.