The first meeting
Consultation
A consultation is used to determine the posture of a matter and whether the office can accept it. It is not, by itself, a representation.
The office is at 23 Plantation Park Drive, Suite 503, Bluffton, Beaufort County, South Carolina 29910. Telephone (843) 757-8020. msiren@blufftonfamilylaw.com.
Before a first meeting, the office will ask for the names of the other adults involved so that a conflict check can be run. South Carolina Rule 1.7 and related conflict rules may prevent the firm from speaking with you, or from going further, if another person in the matter is already a client or a former client.
Until the firm confirms in writing that it can represent you, please do not send a narrative of confidential facts, medical records, financial account numbers, or documents you would not want a third party to read. Unsolicited email is not automatically privileged.
The meeting
- To identify the court, the county, and whether an action has already been filed.
- To learn whether children, support, property, or an existing order are involved.
- To determine whether a conflict of interest exists.
- To discuss, in general terms, the next procedural step if the firm accepts the matter.
- To discuss fees and the way the office bills, if representation is offered. This website does not advertise a fee or a range of fees.
Papers to have at hand
- Any summons, complaint, motion, or order already served or entered.
- A simple chronology: date of marriage, date of separation into different residences, names and dates of birth of children.
- Recent pay records and the last two years of tax returns, if support or property will be discussed.
- A list of questions you want answered in general terms.
What this office will not do at the first contact
The office will not advise you to ignore an existing order, will not tell you that a particular result is assured, and will not take action against another person until a written engagement is in place. If you are in immediate physical danger, contact local law enforcement. Protective-order forms are available from the clerk of court; the South Carolina Bar’s public materials explain that a lawyer is not required to request a protective order.