How We Are Different
Choosing the right attorney to guide you through the divorce process is critically important. There is too much at stake to make a poor decision. Perhaps you or someone you know has had a bad experience with an attorney in the past. Explaining how we’re different requires an explanation of what the “traditional” experience with a divorce attorney is like.
Typically, the lawyer bills the client by the hour, so the client never knows what the total bill is going to be until after the work is done. Clients feel that they are asked to write their attorney a blank check. The client can never get their attorney on the phone, and the attorney does not keep the client updated on the status of his/her case. Sometimes there is a different paralegal or junior attorney working on the case every time the client calls the office. And, when the client is able to reach someone by phone, a few weeks later the client gets a bill in the mail for $75 for a couple of questions! The client makes a mental note – “Do not call the attorney again.”
Surely there has to be a better way. We know there is. That is why we founded our own law firm.
What makes our firm different is that we built it around the needs of our clients. At Gravett & Gravett, our clients are at the core of everything we do.
You want to know that you have made the best decision possible about whom to guide you through the divorce process. You want to know that your rights will be protected and that you will receive fearless, thoughtful, and effective advocacy. You want to be kept updated on the status of your case (without being charged extra). And, you want to know how much it is all going to cost up front.
We have designed unique systems to deliver all of that to you so that you can stop worrying about whether your case is being handled properly, and focus on you (and your children) as you navigate through this difficult time to a new, and hopefully better, chapter in your life.
Here are three specific ways in which we can achieve this for you:
(1) Our Secure Client Extranet
We provide consistent, proactive updates to you about your case via our secure client extranet. When we begin your case, we will provide you with the information you need to access our secure client website. There you will be able to have access to your important case documents 24/7. In addition, at least every two weeks, you will receive a Status Report about what is going on in your case, even if there is not much to report. You will know that your lawyer is on top of your case. You will not have to worry about trying to call to get the information, and having to leave message after message because your lawyer is in Court or in meetings. As we receive or prepare new documents in your case, we will post them to the secure website. You will enjoy the peace of mind of knowing exactly what is going on in your case – in real time.
(2) No Hourly Bill, No Hourly Bull
Earlier in our careers, we worked at a larger law firms where everything we did was billed on an hourly basis. As you can imagine, at $325 per hour, our clients wanted us to do everything as quickly as possible with as little communication as possible (for fear of the bill they would receive). It was an environment that was not conducive to the best outcome for their case, nor for developing a lifetime relationship between attorney and client.
So, nothing we do is billed on an hourly basis. We work on a flat fee, agreed to in advance, so there are never any surprises. Our clients really like it and so do we.
(3) Your Personal Family Lawyers for Life
We see your divorce case as the beginning of our relationship, not as a one-time transactional event. We sincerely value the relationships that we build with our clients. We have created unique membership programs to help our clients to monitor, enforce, and modify their divorce agreements as future circumstances change. In addition, we help our clients to get their estate plans in order so that they can transfer their whole wealth – their financial, intellectual, and spiritual assets – to their loved ones.
These are just a few of the things that make our firm different. We fit best with people who want the peace of mind of knowing, not only that their divorce case will be taken care of with the utmost professional skill, but also that we will be there for them as their trusted advisors to give them a lifetime of legal guidance – for whatever life may bring.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Willem Gravett & Margaretha Gravett
