07/10/2026
Hello! I usually don't like explaining myself or justifying our fees or the work we do. My belief has always been that you have the freedom to choose who to retain, just as I have the freedom to refuse to take your case, and we can both terminate our retainer agreement at any time. I am old and not very patient so I usually don't give you the runaround, I say what is my opinion of your case, I tell you the chances, I refuse some cases, I give disclaimers, I say things plainly and quickly. Much as I would love to take your money, I always refuse cases I can't do anything on.
So, to my clients who are undergoing the NVC process, please note the following:
1. our fee is based on the work we do, a flat fee basically for the process
2. if I charge by the hour, or by "activity", it would cost maybe 3 to 4 times as much, you would not be happy with that so don't ask me to account for every little thing I do on your case based on the flat fee, because it will not tally up
3. NVC work is labor intensive, especially when you give us s**tty documents, we are doing work that is no longer part of the retainer just so we can submit your documents
4. the NVC process is long and gruelling, the wait time is not for the weak or impatient. Patience is a virtue which we must have or strive for.
5. you do not talk to a person, there is no live person to talk to. there are protocols and portals and hoops we go through to do follow ups or inquiries. the time i spend on this? covers the whole fee already if i charged by the hour
6. they control all the schedules etc. they will even do things you did not ask for and love to make lawyers look like idiots to clients. if you are a smart client, you should always receive NVC communication with discernment.
7. there are no shortcuts for normal beings like us. don't tell me to "talk to a senator". YOU go talk to your representative, you are the voter. it won't get you anywhere but you are welcome to try.
8. please don't yell at us that you do not have an interview date yet or you have been waiting for a long time. or compare with others. I'm sure your friends who got appointments before you didn't get it because their lawyer did something extraordinary.
Anyway, all i wanted to say is that, i work more than hard for every penny you pay me, and then some. I don't charge extra for putting up with s**t and late payments, and complaints, and s**tty documents. We may have some missteps sometimes because we are only human, but our office always do everything in its power to rectify, and always at our own dime.
As I said before, you can always retain someone else.
Happy weekend, everyone!
