BITTNER & WIDDIS LAW

$350.00

There is an entire culture surrounding the legal field and when you insert yourself into that culture, it can be as unsettling and inhospitable as visiting a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and everything you do offends someone.

There are so many stories about how things go wrong in the legal system and it is a sad commentary on what needs to be fixed. But until there is true transparency and the courts are accessible to the people they serve, people usually need an attorney. When you go to court on your own, the judge is often as close in physical proximity as a cashier at the grocery store, but you’re an ocean away from them understanding your position. When an attorney is with you, usually the judge already knows the attorney, respects the position the attorney holds and therefore the groundwork is laid before the attorney starts speaking. The judge already knows that the attorney is going to relay the most relevant information to get your point across. This is invaluable and gives you the best chance at success.

Do you want personalized attention? Do you want to know who will be working on your case and who will be going to court with you? You’re looking to hire a lawyer, not an attorney staffing agency where you can’t be sure of what (or who) you’ll get. When law firms advertise their “team of lawyers” it is meant to be reassuring to the client who thinks that a group of lawyers are available just for them. What it really means is a work pool where the personal relationship is often lost, and efficiency is decreased by your case being passed around and you explaining your situation multiple times to multiple people (and usually charged each time).

There are some situations where you would want to hire a law firm, such as complex litigation where sheer numbers of people working to crunch data and do research is necessary. For most everything else, you want a personal relationship with an attorney so there is not the confusion and misinformation that occurs when “too many cooks are in the kitchen.” Beware of law firms where a figurehead is selling you a line of hype, then passing you off to another lawyer. They make money on volume – a tale as old as time.

If you have received a Complaint or Petition, then an Answer is due 21 days after you are served. A Complaint or Petition require personal service or your acknowledgment accepting service. If you have received a motion, then an opposition is due within 14 days of when the motion was mailed. A motion only requires that it be mailed and personal service is not required. This is why it is very important for you to keep your address updated in the Court’s system so that any notices are mailed to your correct address.

You will be served with a Complaint or Petition and a Summons. That starts the clock ticking for the 21 day deadline for you to file an Answer. If you live in a county where they have online access to cases (Washoe County District Court, but not Sparks Justice Court or Reno Justice Court), then you can use the court’s website to search for your name and see if a case has been opened.

Take action ASAP! Sometimes you can call the opposing party (or their attorney if they have one) and ask for an extension. A simple request and agreement can save the day. You can also file a Motion for extension of time to file your response and if you have a valid reason the judge may grant your request. You can also just hurry and file whatever it is that is delinquent, with the court. If the other party has not taken action to alert the court that you are in default, then you may still be in the clear. Do not just ignore the deadline! Take action to address the deadline.

Yes, but you should not count on that, as the majority of family law cases end up with each side paying their own attorney’s fees. You will always have to pay for representation and then if you are awarded fees by the judge then you are responsible for collecting the fees awarded from the other party. This can be difficult and time consuming. That is why you should ultimately expect to be responsible for 100% of the cost.

Most of the time. Certain kinds of orders are appealable, other kinds are not. Final orders and decrees are appealable. There are always deadlines that are usually 10 or 30 days from when the order was issued. That means you must act fast to even be able to appeal an issue. In rare circumstances, you can file an appeal outside of those short deadlines. Schedule a consult with an attorney as soon as you think you want to appeal a decision – even if it is before the order has been issued.