A will, a power of attorney, a health care directive: which does what
Three documents that are often signed together, and the different moments each one is for (sample note).
Know the time and the fee before we start
Hartwell Rowe Law (sample) is a small firm in Springfield for family matters, wills and estates, work disputes and leases. Every matter starts with a free consultation and a letter that says what the work will take.
Matter and typical time
Fee
First consultation
No charge
5 units, 30 minutes
Residential lease review
$180
8 units, 48 minutes
Severance agreement review
$450
15 units, about 1 hour 30 minutes
Simple will
$440
20 units, about 2 hours
Parenting plan, drafted with you
$1,050
35 units, about 3 hours 30 minutes
Uncontested divorce, agreement and filing
$1,440
60 units, about 6 hours
Time in the fee Time we do not charge
Typical lawyer time for a straightforward matter, in six-minute units (sample). Example prices: fixed fees unless marked estimate. Your own estimate is in your engagement letter.
Practice areas
Four areas, the everyday legal matters of people and families. If yours is outside them, we say so and suggest where to go.
Family law
Separation and divorce, custody and parenting time, child support and prenuptial agreements. We work toward agreement where that is possible and prepare for court where it is not.
Typical matters
Divorce, parenting plans, prenuptial agreements
Wills and estates
Wills, powers of attorney and health care directives, and probate for families dealing with an estate.
Typical matters
Simple wills, powers of attorney, probate
Employment
For employees: severance agreements, dismissal, unpaid wages and workplace investigations.
Typical matters
Severance reviews, demand letters, interviews
Property and leases
Residential leases, home purchase contracts and disputes between landlords and tenants.
Typical matters
Lease reviews, purchase contracts, notices
How we charge
Lawyers keep time in units of six minutes, a tenth of an hour. We use them to set our fixed fees, and you can ask for your time record at any point.
One hour: ten units of six minutes
A short email or reading a one-page letter
A phone call of up to twelve minutes
Reading a ten-page agreement with notes for you
A meeting of an hour, with a written summary
Rates
Partner
$30 a unit
$300
Associate
$22 a unit
$220
Paralegal
$12 a unit
$120
Example prices, per hour. A fixed fee is the typical time at the rate of the person who does the work, rounded.
Never charged
- The first 30-minute consultation
- Questions about our bill
- A copy of your file when the matter ends
From first call to engagement letter
Four steps before any work starts, the same for every matter.
1
You call or write
Tell us in a few lines what has happened and the names of the other people involved.
2
We check for conflicts
We make sure we do not already act for the other side. This takes up to one working day.
3
A 30-minute consultation
At the office or by video, at no charge. We explain your options and what each would involve.
4
An engagement letter
The work, who does it, the time it should take and the fee. Nothing starts until you have signed it.
Who you will work with
A small firm on purpose: the lawyer you meet in the consultation is the one who does the work.
Claire Hartwell
Partner, family law (sample)
Samuel Rowe
Partner, employment (sample)
Nadia Okafor
Associate, wills and estates (sample)
Luis Ferreira
Associate, property and leases (sample)
What to bring to a consultation
You do not need everything. These papers let us give you a clear first answer in thirty minutes.
For any matter
- Photo ID
- Any letters, notices or court papers you have received, with their dates
- The names of the other people involved
- A short timeline of what happened, if it helps you
For your kind of matter
- Family: marriage certificate, a list of assets and debts, the children's current schedule
- Wills: a list of what you own and who you would like to provide for
- Work: your contract, the severance offer, recent pay slips
- Property: the lease or purchase contract, with any emails about it
Questions people ask before they call
General information, not legal advice on your own matter.
Do I need a lawyer for this?
Not always. Some matters can be handled with a form or a letter you write yourself; if yours is one of them, we say so in the consultation.
Can you tell me if I will win?
No lawyer can promise how a court or the other side will respond. We tell you your options, the risks of each as we see them, and what each would cost in time and fees.
How do your fees work?
Most matters have a fixed fee based on the typical time, written in your engagement letter. Where the time cannot be known in advance, you get an estimate in units and a monthly statement.
Is the first consultation really free?
Yes. Thirty minutes, at the office or by video. It is recorded on our time sheet as time we do not charge.
Is what I tell you confidential?
Yes. What you tell us to get legal advice is confidential from the first conversation, even if you do not instruct us afterwards.
Do you work with clients outside Springfield?
Yes, for matters under the law of this state. Consultations work well by video and documents can be signed electronically.
Legal notes
Signing a lease: five clauses to read twice
Deposit, repairs, ending early, inspections and renewal (sample note).
Offered a severance agreement? What to check before you sign
What you would give up, what you would get, and the date it expires (sample note).
The office on Elm Street
220 Elm Street, Springfield (sample)
Second floor, lift from the courtyard entrance
Monday to Friday
8:30–17:30
Tuesday evenings, by appointment
until 19:30
Saturday
Closed
Opening hours (sample). Two minutes’ walk from the county courthouse; visitor parking on Mill Lane.
