Legal Coaching—What is it?
Hiring a lawyer can be expensive and is often not a tenable option for every person. However, representing yourself in a legal case and/or court can be a daunting, confusing, and overwhelming task. Unlike hiring a lawyer for full representation in your family case, a legal coach can assist and help you manage your case as efficiently as possible to allow you to achieve the best possible results as a self-represented litigant with minimal legal fees. Illuma’s very own Abby Pang is a certified legal coach.
What is Legal Coaching?
Legal coaching is an alternative style of legal help that allows a lawyer or certified legal coach to assist you in your legal matter without providing you with full representation. A legal coach does not need to be a lawyer, but many are. This is similar to what some firms may call a “limited” retainer. Rather than the traditional lawyer-client relationship, with legal coaching, the lawyer and client work together, with the client doing a lot of the heavy lifting, while the lawyer assists in the background.
Legal coaching provides a new, innovative approach to access to justice. It helps self-represented litigants navigate the complexities of the court system in an informed way. In turn, the self-represented litigant saves money on legal fees and has a higher chance of success. Legal coaching therefore breaks the barrier of the “all or nothing” traditional approach of legal assistance.
Because a legal coach is not representing you in your family law matter, they are not responsible or accountable for moving your case forward or making decisions. The legal coach is there to help you navigate the confusing world of law while you are in the driver’s seat.
What Can Legal Coaches do to Help?
1. Provide advice to you regarding your family law case;
2. Explaining the relevant rules, timelines, and workings of the courts;
3. Pointing you towards the correct forms to fill out;
4. Filling out or reviewing and advising such forms for you;
5. Preparing applications and the relevant supporting documentation including affidavits;
6. Preparing application responses and relevant supporting documentation including affidavits;
7. Providing background assistance during a trial;
8. Providing tips and direction for strategy;
9. Providing training on negotiation, settlement, and courtroom advocacy;
10. Helping prepare for questioning or cross-examination;
11. Calculating division of property and support amounts;
12. Legal research pertaining to your matter;
13. Providing additional, cost-effective resources;
14. Helping draft and review letters and emails; and
15. Reading and providing advice regarding communication with the opposing party or their lawyer.
What do Legal Coaches not do?
1. Go on record as your lawyer;
2. Represent you in court or mediation as your lawyer;
3. Speak to opposing counsel or opposing party as your lawyer; or
4. Attend discoveries with you;
In some cases, if your legal coach is also a lawyer, they may be able to attend court, mediation, or discoveries, as well as speak with opposing counsel or opposing party as your agent on a limited basis.
What are the Fees Associated with Legal Coaching?
Similar to a limited retainer, you can choose the amount you spend on legal fees with a legal coach. You will still pay an hourly rate, but each step will be directed by you, and you can set caps on the amount of time a legal coach works on your file.
You can add as little or as much money to your retainer, and we will only do work you instruct us to do, and only up to the amount you have provided us. This allows you to budget and keep control over your legal bills.
Is a Legal Coach Suitable for You?
Legal coaching may not be suitable for every person. As indicated in this blog, hiring a legal coach means you will be doing most of the work in your family matter, with a lawyer helping in the background. You work together as a team to determine strategy and your approach, with the assistance of a lawyer to help you navigate your matter in an efficient way. Rather than the lawyer taking the lead, you will be taking control over your matter and use your lawyer as a resource rather than a representative. A legal coach will help you with the complexities of the legal system, but you have to be willing to show up and represent yourself in court, mediation, negotiations, or arbitration.
Reach out to a member of our team here to find out if legal coaching would be suitable for you.
