What to Expect

Many individuals who are interested in the services of the Jon R. Parsons Law Firm have questions regarding the best ways to communicate with the attorneys, consultations, fees, and referrals.  This page provides answers to these common questions.

Communicating by E-mail

Email is a convenient and expedient form of communication, but some risks are involved when e-mailing.  Individuals should be aware that e-mails are not secure, since third parties may access the email message.  Additionally, communications between an attorney and client, including e-mails, are protected by the attorney-client privilege and deemed confidential, but this protection can be lost for certain email communications in some situations.  If there is a reason to believe the emails are being inappropriately accessed, then the privilege might be lost.  To ensure that your e-mails to us are secure and confidential, please follow these recommendations:

• Do not send confidential e-mails to our office from your employer's computer system:  a system administrator may look at the e-mail, and if a third party sees the e-mail, the e-mail message might lose the attorney-client privilege of confidentiality.
• E-mail subject line:  if the content of the e-mail is highly confidential, this should be indicated in the subject line, and the content of the e-mail should be displayed in the subject line as well.
• Using Encryption:  Since e-mails can be accessed by unintended recipients or mistakenly sent to the wrong person, we can arrange for e-mails to be encrypted for highly confidential e-mail messages.
• Do not send "string" e-mails:  String e-mails are email messages that consist of a series of e-mail responses and answers to the original e-mail message.  The risk is that string e-mails may contain damaging information that an opposing party might later have the right to see, because it is part of the series of e-mail messages. 

Communicating with Cell Phones

We encourage individuals to not communicate confidential legal matters by cell phone, because there is a risk that the conversation can be overheard.  Instead, you should communicate a confidential communication to us in person or by using a land-based telephone.  Cell phones should be used to make appointments, to tell us if you will be late for an appointment, or for other routine communications.

Expectations for Initial Telephone Call

During the first telephone call with a potential client, we might discuss your situation to determine if an appointment should be scheduled to discuss the matter further.  Individuals should know though, that an attorney-client relationship is not established by this initial call.  Rather, an attorney-client relationship is established only when a written "Retainer Agreement" is signed at the actual meeting.

Because an attorney-client relationship is not formed by the initial call, we also do not provide any legal advice, and make only general comments or suggestions in our first telephone call.

Even though an attorney-client relationship is not formed during this initial call, we will treat the phone call as confidential.

Following-Up

The law requires that claims be filed within a certain length of time.  The amount of time varies depending on the claim involved.  Failure to file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations may result in the claim being barred.  Our attorneys can ensure that your claim is filed within the appropriate period of time after an attorney-client relationship has been established.

Fixed Fee Consultations

The Jon R. Parsons Law Firm offers initial Fixed Fee Consultations for most personal and small-business matters.  The consultations have a fixed, pre-set fee of $350.00, and include an initial telephone discussion, review of pertinent materials, and a meeting to discuss your matter.  During this consultation, after reviewing the relevant documents and meeting with you, we will inform you of whether you should pursue legal action, and the steps that would be involved if you pursued the matter.

Please be advised that the consultation relationship ends at the end of the initial meeting, and there is no commitment, nor expectation for either party to proceed with the relationship.  Only after a written agreement for further services is entered into will we take any further action on your matter.

If you are interested in a Fixed Fee Consultation, please provide the documents ahead of time for our review (e-mail attachments are preferred to faxes), and please prepare any questions you may have for us at the initial meeting.  Typically, we receive payment at the end of the initial meeting, and for your convenience, we accept most major credit cards.

Written Agreement Required for Representation

In general, when fees and costs are reasonably expected to exceed $1,000.00, clients are entitled to a written agreement.  The Jon R. Parsons Law Firm does not form attorney-client relationships unless there is some written documentation.  For the initial contract we may use a Fixed Fee Consultation Agreement, a Simplified Letter Agreement for short-term tasks, or a Retainer Agreement when substantial representation is expected.

Referrals

Sometimes, when appropriate, we refer individuals to other lawyers.  If this is done, please understand that we do not have a business relationship with these attorneys, and we are not receiving a fee for the referral.  We also do not guarantee that this attorney will handle your case, or the quality level of the work he or she will provide, although we do believe the attorneys we name as referrals are competent and in good standing.

Please keep in mind that if you are interested in contacting the attorney, do so without delay because of statutes regarding the time you have to file your claim.  Also, feel free to speak to more than one attorney, and remember that it is important to find an attorney with whom you can establish a positive, working relationship.  In addition, we strive to provide individuals with good referrals, so if you have a pleasant or negative experience with an attorney we recommend, please let us know.

Practicing Law as a Profession

We understand that lawyers practice a noble profession, entailing significant responsibilities to the public.  We abide by the attorney code of professional ethics outlined by the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.  To view these guidelines, please see the links below: 

• Code of Professionalism of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, revised 10-25-2007.
• Civility and Professionalism Guidelines of the USDC for the Central District of California, version dated 1-12-2006.