Request an Appointment

To set an appointment, you must speak with our Receptionist or Legal Assistant. Please specify whether you are a current client with an open case or if you need an initial appointment with the Attorney for a new matter. Our staff will ask you to provide some basic information about yourself and your legal matter and provide you with directions regarding our initial intake process and your initial appointment.

If you are not a client of the firm, our attorneys are unable to speak with you unless you schedule an initial appointment and follow our initial intake procedures.  At the time of the initial appointment you will meet directly with the attorney.

If you are a client of the firm, in many circumstances the Receptionist or Legal Assistant may be able to address your question or concern (and at a lower cost than speaking directly with an attorney). In instances when the Receptionist or Legal Assistant are unable to address your question, you will speak to the attorney. If your attorney is unavailable at the time you call the office, you will be asked to leave a detailed message that will be forwarded to the attorney.  If our staff or attorney believes your issue may require a more lengthy discussion, you will be asked to schedule an appointment to speak with the attorney at a time that is convenient for you.

It is important to remember that your case may be billed each time you speak with the Attorney or staff.  Naturally the Attorney bills at a higher hourly rate than our staff members. By allowing our knowledgeable staff to address questions or concerns that do not require direct interaction with the Attorney, you are controlling the fees billed in your case. If the office staff determines that your question or concern requires the Attorney’s attention, your issue will be forwarded to the Attorney for review and follow-up.

Our initial appointments are scheduled by our receptionist or Legal Assistant. We usually schedule our initial appointments for a specific day each week. When you contact our office for an initial appointment, you will be offered an appointment at our next available initial appointment date.  You will be asked to complete and return an initial intake packet prior to your initial appointment, as well.  This allows us to provide you with as much information during the initial appointment as possible.  Please contact our office to discuss the next available appointment date.

No, our office is unable to offer initial consultations free of charge. Please contact Legal Services of North Florida at (850) 385-9007, the Tallahassee Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service at (850) 320-6963 Ext. 116 or The Florida Bar Referral Service (800) 342-8011 to locate an attorney who may be able to provide a free consultation.

Our firm does provide free or pro bono legal services. However, due to the volume of requests our firm receives for free legal services, our pro bono legal work is limited to our practice area (elder law) and referrals made to us through Legal Services of North Florida. If you believe you qualify for free or pro bono legal services please contact Legal Services of North Florida at (850) 385-9007.

The cost of your legal matter is dependent upon the type of matter, the amount of time the firm must spend working on your matter and how much cooperation we received from you.  Some matters are handled for a flat fee while others are handled on an hourly rate basis.  Our staff is prohibited from setting fees or quoting fees due to the rules regulating how attorneys and their staff must operate.

When you meet with the attorney, she will discuss with you the fees and costs associated with your legal matter, any retainer, your payment options, and ways you can reduce those costs.

The Sketchley Law Firm does not sell or give away legal forms.  Legal services are not merely providing pieces of paper or fill-in-the-blank forms.  Legal services include legal advice based on a comprehensive review of your specific situation, your family, your needs, and your goals; making sure you understand what the documents do and don’t do for you; and, supervision of the execution of any legal documents.  Legal services also include instructions on how to disseminate your information and protect yourself from the abuse that can come from appointing the wrong fiduciary.

The distribution of pre-printed forms without legal guidance often leads to catastrophic consequences to those who are unaware of the legal consequences of those documents.  Correcting those consequences is usually far more expensive than obtaining the advice and guidance of a good attorney in your initial planning.