A vital part of any community is understanding what services like legal matters are available, and at what cost. It’s essential for individuals to have knowledge about how these costs can affect them going forward. One of the most practical (if uncomfortable) ways to have a firm grasp on your personal finances is by looking into basic legal services, and how much you can reasonably expect to pay for them. For the autism network, knowing how much a lawyer or legal consultant will charge (such as the contract attorney hourly rate) can be a powerful tool that helps you make decisions about how to spend your money.
There’s no shortage of issues that the autism community is always pushed to be aware of – from genetic testing to social skills training, there are plenty of issues around autism that require serious education and conversation. There’s also the severe lack of available resources to make them accessible. With investigations frequently showing that the autism network is often underserved by their legal representatives, having tools like these at your disposal is critical.
For the uninitiated, a contract attorney is one that is typically hired to provide more specialized legal services. They often have advanced experience or postgraduate level education, but do not hold the same responsibilities or risks that other attorneys might. This may include managing ongoing or handling new cases directly, and instead they may work indirectly by preparing information. In some circumstances, they may work directly under a senior counsel and either aid them or observe as an additional party to the contract.
Contract attorneys are often hired for short-term work, unlike most conventional attorneys who tend to have long-term clients.
What kind you hire depends on your individual needs. If you are looking for someone who will be personally invested in your case, then a conventional attorney might suit your needs better. If you want someone to take over a specific task that would be difficult to delegate to an existing attorney, contract attorneys are often a better choice.
Research from Pennsylvania has repeatedly shown that there are issues families face when trying to navigate the legal waters. In many cases, being pushed into a direction contrary to their own was a common complaint. In other cases, families felt that their direct requests were ignored or disregarded entirely. These were seen more as passive rejections, however, than deliberate attempts to spite the families.
Moans from the autism community consistently argue that there are few services that speak to the needs of the community. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to let your voice be silenced when it comes to autism representation. Instead, you can allow your opinion to be heard through your choices. You can manifest your dissatisfaction with the service being provided by refusing to pay for it. In the same way that you can vote or petition to change the laws in your particular state, you can advocate for the rights of yourself and your family through the justice system by finding representation that caters specifically to your needs.
Communication is perhaps one of the greatest issues in the world of autism advocacy as it is. In-depth reports conducted on out of pocket expenses versus the average insurance cost indicate that a significant portion of the autism network pays more than $6,000 every year just to ensure that their needs are covered. Paying for legal services on top of that can be daunting for most families. By communicating directly and honestly with the lawyers you hire and the contracts attorneys they hire, you will be able to fully understand the contracts you are signing and maintain an ongoing dialogue throughout your time using their services.
The contract attorney hourly rate can vary significantly depending on the task of the individual contract attorney. Some may also offer a flat fee instead, which can be more beneficial for people who want a clearly defined budget going into the work being performed. Others offer indirect support as a part of the work they do.
Fortunately, the contract attorney hourly rate is fairly well documented. For most places, it tends to be around $50 and $75 an hour. However, contact your lawyer directly if you have any questions about the expected rates or services that they provide.
As mentioned above, an attorney may opt to charge a flat rate instead of an hourly rate. This can be beneficial for some parties, especially if you think that your needs are unlikely to change or if you have fears about getting less value out of your money. A major stumbling block on the path to personal negotiations, however, is how you choose to approach the situation. In almost every case, however, the best solution is to integrate it into the general conversation around the contract process. Consider terms of payment, whether you will be paying monthly, weekly or hourly, what the payment methods will be, how a default in payment will be handled, and when the payment will be made.
Understanding what the cost will be for legal issues can be daunting. However, with these helpful tools at your disposal, you can have a better idea of what you’re facing.
For more information on legal services and costs, you can visit Nolo’s guide on attorney fees.