Cost of Service

I do not charge for the initial consultation with prospective clients. If I decide to handle the case, or wish to investigate the case further, I generally will enter into a signed written agreement that describes the services I will provide and the cost of those services to the client. As a general rule, I charge for work related to a special education case by the hour, although I am open to discussing other fee arrangements. If I am successful in your special education case, the federal special education law provides that you are entitled to reimbursement for the costs and attorneys' fees incurred. If I win your case, I am generally able to recover reimbursement for the attorneys' fees and costs incurred based on the results achieved. This often means that all or substantially all of your costs, including attorneys' fees, are reimbursed.

If your case seeks to recover money damages, I may agree to represent you on a contingent-fee basis depending on an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the case. This means that our Retainer Agreement will provide that you will not have to pay any attorneys' fees unless I prevail. If I prevail, our contingent-fee agreement generally provides that I will take a percentage of the recovery as my fee.

Fee reductions and special pay arrangements may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Generally, I expect our clients to pay for our services, but I understand that parents cannot always afford to pay the full cost of legal representation. I am therefore willing to consider taking such cases in exceptional circumstances.