I believe clients should understand the likely cost of legal representation before deciding to incur those costs. My goal is to provide clear information about legal fees, discuss anticipated expenses in advance, and help clients make informed decisions about how to use their resources.

Depending on the nature of your case and your family's financial circumstances, I offer several types of fee arrangements.

Standard Hourly Fees and Advance Payments

For most clients, I charge an hourly fee for legal services. My hourly rate typically increases by a small amount each year. Contact me for information about my current rate.

Ongoing representation. When I represent a family in a special education matter, I generally remain involved on an ongoing basis, including between IEP meetings, evaluations, and other major developments. This continuity allows me to stay familiar with your child's circumstances and serve as a consistent point of contact with the school district and its attorneys.

We will ordinarily agree in advance that I may perform up to two hours of routine legal work each month without seeking additional authorization. Routine work might include responding to correspondence, communicating with school district attorneys, reviewing developments, or advising you about questions that arise.

This is not a monthly fee. You pay only for the time I actually spend working on your matter. Some months may involve little or no work.

Planning and budgeting for substantial work. Before undertaking a larger project, such as preparing for an IEP meeting, reviewing evaluations, negotiating significant changes to a student's educational program, or pursuing a formal dispute, I will discuss the proposed work and its anticipated cost with you.

We will agree on the work to be undertaken and an appropriate budget before proceeding. If circumstances change and additional work appears necessary, I will ordinarily consult with you before incurring significant additional fees.

My goal is to make decisions about legal strategy and legal spending together, rather than presenting you with unexpected expenses after work has already been completed.

Advance payments. I ask clients to make an advance payment toward anticipated legal fees. For routine ongoing representation, I generally ask clients to maintain an advance equivalent to approximately two hours of work. For larger projects, I may request an additional advance based on the anticipated cost of that work.

Advance payments are not additional fees. They are applied to your invoices as legal fees are earned. Any unearned balance remains refundable under the terms of our agreement.

Monthly billing. I send itemized invoices each month showing the work performed, the fees incurred, payments applied, and any remaining advance-fee balance. Payment for outstanding charges is due within 14 days unless we have agreed to another arrangement.

Reduced Fees and Payment Plans for Lower-Income Families

I recognize that legal representation can be a significant financial burden, particularly for families already facing challenges obtaining appropriate educational services.

Sliding-scale fees. If your household income qualifies your child for free or reduced-price school meals under the current Wisconsin income eligibility guidelines, I offer a 33% reduction in my standard hourly rate.

Payment plans. Families who qualify for my reduced hourly rate may also arrange to pay their legal fees through automatic monthly payments capped at 5% of household monthly income.

I will ask for documentation of eligibility and will discuss the payment arrangements with you before representation begins.

Payment plans affect the timing of payments, not the amount of work authorized or the total fees incurred. We will continue to discuss and plan the anticipated cost of legal services in advance so that you can make informed decisions about the financial commitment involved.

Contingency and Fee-Shifting Cases

Some civil rights and education cases involve the possibility of recovering monetary damages or obtaining an award of attorney fees from the opposing party.

In appropriate cases, I may agree to work on a contingency basis, at a reduced hourly rate, or under an arrangement that accounts for the possibility of recovering attorney fees under applicable law.

The particular arrangement depends on the nature of the claims, the available remedies, the anticipated work, and the risks involved.

Before agreeing to undertake substantial litigation under one of these arrangements, I generally conduct an initial investigation and evaluation. This may include reviewing records, interviewing witnesses, evaluating legal claims, and assessing the potential remedies and costs of litigation.

We will discuss the scope and cost of any initial investigation before it begins. If we decide to proceed with litigation, the terms of representation and responsibility for attorney fees and litigation expenses will be explained in a written agreement.

Initial Consultation

I offer a free 15-minute intake phone call to discuss the kind of assistance you're seeking, whether my practice may be a good fit, and the fee arrangements that may be available.

If a longer consultation, records review, or initial legal evaluation would be helpful, I will explain the anticipated cost before you decide whether to proceed.

Use the link below to request an initial intake call.