Armata & Davis, LLC

How We Work With Clients

Our practice of law is aimed at meeting our clients' needs and goals. Although we have a collected forty years experience in court, our focus remains a litigation-free resolution of all outstanding issues because we believe so strongly that that is best for families. Our approach is tailored for each client. We view our relationship with our clients as a partnership designed to meet the client's goals and objectives. We treat our clients with respect and understand that they are going through a difficult transition that is fraught with fear and uncertainty. We aim to reduce that fear, bring certainty, and let the client get on with his or her life without feeling victimized by their spouse, the process, or their lawyer. We are appreciative that our clients chose us to help them through whatever process they are involved in. We pride ourselves on being their guide, taking them in a well-prepared and efficient way to where they want to go and not being the lawyer of old "Trust me, I know what is best for you" model.

We start each client relationship with a consultation to determine if there is a good attorney/client fit. Although many people seek out our representation, we decline some because we feel we will not meet their goals and expectations. We will pass on representing clients who are overly aggressive or intent upon punishment of their spouse. We view ourselves as tools, not weapons.

At the initial consultation we take time to listen to a prospective client, to gain an initial understanding of their needs, goals and desires, as well as their fears and worries. We take a history from them to start to determine how they got to the point of where they need to hire an attorney. We talk about the process options available to them, the pros and cons of each process, and which process could best meet their needs and goals. We talk about their concerns, why they have them and what can be done to alleviate the same.

If the prospective client and attorney agree that there is a good fit between them and after the financial arrangements for legal representation have been agreed to, we begin to prepare and educate the client as to the choices and process ahead. If it is to be a collaborative effort, we will work with them to outline an agenda and determine, in conjunction with the other side, what information is needed to act n that agenda. If it is litigation, we will determine what evidence is needed to prove our case, what relief or outcome we want, and the best way to get where we need to get to. Again, we take time to educate the client as to the process, claims and relief. We take pride in our preparedness and insuring the client is fully informed. Following any mediation, collaborative meeting or court, we make sure the client has a chance to talk with us about the outcome, its affect upon them, and how that fits into meeting their goals. We assess if we need to do anything different to meet those goals.

Time is the medium of our trade and accordingly, we bill by time spent for services rendered. At the initial meeting, we make sure the client and firm come to a financial understanding relative to the costs of the representation. Family law fees are a function of the time spent and sometimes, especially with litigation, we have little control over the amount of time required to meet a client's goals: extended negotiations, court time due to a busy docket, gathering of evidence, discussion on other issues, and an inability to reach agreements can increase legal fees. The litigation process can be especially costly given procedural hurdles that must be met: motion practice, family relations negotiations, pre-trials with special masters, judges, preparation for hearings, and ultimately the trial itself, all add to client's legal and economic costs.

Like most law firms, Armata & Davis, LLC works on a retainer basis, which means that the client pays an upfront retainer toward future legal services. All retainers are held in our IOLTA-insured Clients Fund Trust Account. Each month, time is charged against that initial payment. If the retainer falls below a certain amount, the client may be asked to replenish the retainer. At Armata and Davis, LLC we take great care to keep you informed of legal fees by sending out a monthly billing showing the time spent for individual services and the status of your retainer. If there are any questions, our business manager Joe Nania is happy to answer them or provide you with any information that will assist you.

In an effort to minimize legal expenses, we will delegate some work to the client or our staff. Such tasks include document collection, reviewing pleadings, initial drafting of legal documents, coordinating schedules, etc. Obtaining financial information can be done more economically by the client or paralegal than the attorney. On occasion we will ask the paralegal to do an initial draft of legal documents so as to keep legal fees down.

Some of the best compliments we receive are about our wonderful support staff: how they make time to listen, get questions answered, accommodate schedules, and make the process easier and hassle-free. They are friendly, courteous and experienced, and they insure that both the client and attorney are well-prepared. When the attorney is not available, our staff can also take time to explain what is going on with a client's matter. They are great at getting messages to the attorney and responding quickly to clients. They make the team complete.

Sometimes we need to go outside of office personnel to assist the clients in meeting their goals. If that is the situation, we take pride in our referral network of therapists, child-based mental health professionals, business forensic professionals, accountants, financial planners and attorneys with expertise in other areas such as estate-planning or Social Security disability. If a case requires, we can bring in third parties to break an impasse. Professionals such as private special masters, mediators, and arbitrators can often help resolve issues in an expedited economic and private way, all to the client's benefit.