How to prepare for your first appointment with a family lawyer?
Intake Form
Our lawyers are more than happy to have an initial appointment with you to discuss your matter. Before your initial conference, we ask that you please complete our online intake form. This form will lead to you to This form can be found by clicking on the “Get Started Online” link above.
Should you want to organize an initial conference and talk to one of our lawyers, please reach out either on (02) 8379 1892 or info@barkerevans.com.au.
What should I bring to my first meeting with my lawyer?
Generally speaking, it is not necessary to bring any documents to your first conference with one of our lawyers. We provide you with an online intake form to fill out prior to our first meeting so that our lawyers can provide you with advice at the earliest availability. If, however you are unable to fill out our intake form, any documentation provided to us prior to our meeting will assist us in guiding you. Examples of such documents include:
- A chronology or summary of events;
- A spreadsheet of assets and liabilities that you are your ex-partner have;
- Any correspondence to and from the child support agency;
- Any existing court orders, parenting plans, or mediation agreements; and
- A copy of your latest will and estate documents (such as enduring guardian and power of attorney).
What should I expect at my first meeting?
At your first meeting with us, we will explain to you the various options available to and provide initial legal advice. It is our aim, wherever possible, to keep our clients out of court.
We will also provide practical advice to deal with the complexity of issues you may be experiencing. We can provide you with advice on parenting and custody of your children, how to deal with joint and sole assets, child support, sale of properties and a property settlement.
If there is family violence in your situation, our lawyers who practice in family and criminal law, can provide you with guidance and legal advice to protect the safety and well being of both you and your children.
How much does it cost to see a lawyer at Barker Evans and how can I keep my legal costs down?
It is very difficult to say with certainty how much your matter will cost. Each matter is unique and as such the costs for guiding you through your matter will depend on how complex it is.
All lawyers bill in 6-minute increments. Every 6 minutes is equivalent to 1 unit of work. This means that 10 units of work equals 1 hour. If our work exceeds 6 minutes, and is up to 12 minutes, you are billed for 2 units and so on.
A breakdown of what each one of our lawyers’ charges per hour can be found in our cost agreement.
In order to keep costs down we recommend the following:
- Try not to email us at multiple points of the day. Instead, we recommend noting down your thoughts throughout the day and sending one larger email.
- Before calling us, write out what you would like to discuss and the information you would like to know by the end of our call; and
- When providing your financial disclosure to us, we recommend sorting it into labelled subfolders in chronological order.
Barker Evans are conscious of your legal costs, and wherever possible, will try to keep your legal costs down. We also offer litigation funding through Plenti and Just Fund to ensure you have the funds to run your matter to final hearing if need be.
My Lawyer asked me to sign a Costs Agreement, what is that?
Our Costs Agreement and Costs Disclosure Letter are documents that we provide you at the start of your matter that set out our fees and your obligations. Lawyers require signed costs agreement to assist parties with their legal matter.
My Lawyer has asked me to put some money into a Trust account for my future fees, how does that work?
On occasion, we will ask you to deposit funds into our Trust Account for future fees and disbursements. This money is held in an account regulated by the Law Society. It is important to know:
- We do not earn interest on these funds;
- We are obligated to provide you with a Trust Statement at the end of each Financial Year and at the conclusion of your Matter;
- Any funds held in trust on your behalf at the conclusion of your Matter after payment of any outstanding fees will be returned to you; and
- We will notify you and seek your written confirmation to withdraw funds held in trust on your behalf to cover our fees.
You should always get advice from the best family lawyers. Barker Evans provides expert family law advice, and we are located in the heart of Sydney CBD. We have considerable experience in dealing with matters than concerned much loved pets. If you want advice from an expert family lawyer, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free 15 minute consultation on (02) 8379 1892 or info@barkerevans.com.au.