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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to many of our most frequently asked questions. For questions not covered here, please contact us for a telephone consultation.
General FAQs
I’m a contractor who did work for someone who will not pay. What can I do?
I am a landlord and need help evicting a bad tenant. What do I do?
I’ve received a Notice and Order, what do I do next?
Do I need an attorney to write a will or do estate planning for me?
Can you help me buy or sell commercial real estate?
I am getting sued; do I need an attorney?
Can I handle probate without an attorney?
What geographical areas does Dickson Steinacker cover?
FAQs Regarding Attorney Fees
How much does it cost to have a Tacoma or Seattle lawyer help me with a legal problem?
How much does it cost to file for bankruptcy?
How much does it cost to have Dickson Steinacker set up a new corporation?
How much do you charge to write a will?
How much does it cost to sue someone (or to sue a business)?
Should I declare
bankruptcy?
If you are debating whether to declare bankruptcy, please call for
a FREE 15 minute phone consultation. We will describe the
bankruptcy process and options to help you decide.
A contractor I hired has damaged my
property, or failed to perform according to his contract. What can
I do?
If you cannot resolve the dispute with the contractor, consider suing in
small claims court for physical and monetary damages less than $5,000.
For larger cases, please call for a FREE 15 minute phone consultation to
discuss your options.
I’m a contractor who did work for someone
who will not pay. What can I do?
If you cannot resolve the dispute, consider suing the customer in small
claims court for disputes of less than $5,000. For cases involving
larger dollar amounts, please call for a FREE 15 minute phone
consultation to discuss your options, including filing a lien where the
statutory notice requirements have been met.
I am a landlord and need help evicting a
bad tenant. What do I do?
We can help with filing an unlawful detainer action to evict a tenant
who has not paid rent or who is otherwise in breach of the lease. We
can request a writ of restitution requiring the tenant to vacate the
premises, and which can be enforced by the sheriff.
I’ve received a Notice and Order, what do
I do next?
Call us for a FREE 15 minute phone consultation regarding this.
Can you help me with my business needs
such as reviewing contracts, starting a corporation, buying a business
or selling a business?
Absolutely. We’d love to help and have over 20 years experience
with these types of legal matters and transactions.
Do I need an attorney to write a will or
do estate planning for me?
An experienced attorney can help ensure that your will is clearly
written and properly executed, which will reduce the likelihood of
expensive litigation by heirs to contest the will. In addition,
for those with significant assets, an attorney can help with an estate
plan to reduce or eliminate taxes on your estate. The following
scenarios can sometimes increase the complexity of your estate plan, and
may indicate an increased need for review by an attorney: multiple
marriages; owning a business; significant net worth; real
estate outside Washington; disinheriting a spouse or child; complicated
family dynamics or history; etc. An estate planning attorney can
also prepare powers of attorney and health care directives
(living wills) to simplify matters for family members when one becomes
incapacitated or otherwise unable to handle his or her own affairs.
Can you help me buy or sell commercial
real estate?
We have many years experience helping clients with negotiating and
drafting contracts for both residential and commercial real estate
transactions.
I am getting sued; do I need an attorney?
Although individuals are permitted to represent themselves, the law
requires that you be held to the same standard as a licensed attorney.
This means that you would be required to know all the court rules and
procedures and be able to find and effectively argue the law in support
of your position. If you have been served with a summons and complaint,
you should contact an attorney without delay to ensure that your right
to defend is preserved.
Can I handle probate without an attorney?
Although individuals are permitted to represent themselves, the law
requires that you be held to the same standard as a licensed attorney.
This means that you would be required to know all the court rules and
procedures applicable to the probate. A standard, uncontested
probate is generally not complex. Our attorneys would be happy to help
you through the probate process.
What geographical areas does Dickson
Steinacker cover?
We practice law throughout the state of Washington and have offices in
Tacoma and Seattle. Our attorneys have appeared in court in multiple
counties. We are most often in Pierce, King, Thurston, and Kitsap
counties.
FAQs Regarding Attorney Fees
How much does it cost to have a Tacoma or Seattle
lawyer help me with a legal problem?
When you are hiring an attorney, make sure you ask him/her how much
their work will likely cost for the legal matter you are facing.
Generally, legal issues that involve disputes between two or more
parties (such as construction disputes, real estate disputes, etc.) are
much more expensive than matters that don’t involve a dispute (such as
reviewing a contract, uncontested probates, forming a business, writing
a contract, certain types of loan modifications, etc.).
On complicated legal matters where the attorney can’t give a good
estimate on how much work he/she will have to do and how much it will
cost, you can and should request frequent status updates to find out
what progress has been made and how much it is costing you.
You can also set budgets and require status updates at specific cost
thresholds. Remember that you hired your lawyer and they are working for
you.
If I call Dickson Steinacker to speak to an
attorney regarding a new legal issue, am I charged for the call?
No. The initial phone consultation is 100% free.
How much does it cost to file for
bankruptcy?
For a standard chapter 7 bankruptcy we charge a flat fee of
$1,099. Other bankruptcies are billed at our regular hourly rates.
How much does it cost to have Dickson
Steinacker set up a new corporation?
To set up a standard limited liability company (LLC) in the State of
Washington we charge a flat fee of $1,000.00, which includes the filing
fee to the Secretary of State. Please call us to discuss formation
of other entities.
How much do you charge to write a will?
A single simple will costs $300. Some wills are billed on an hourly
basis depending on the complexity of your situtation.
Do you charge for an in-person
consultation regarding litigation (i.e. I want to sue someone or am
being sued)?
Yes. Although we do not charge for the initial phone consultation, we
do generally charge for consultations in the office. The charge is
based on the time spent and the attorney's hourly rate. Our rates
vary between $165.00 per hour and $295.00 per hour depending on the
attorney.
How much does it cost to sue someone (or
to sue a business)?
It is nearly impossible to predict how much a lawsuit will cost in terms
of attorney's fees. All litigation is billed based on the time spent
and the attorney's hourly rate. How much time the attorney needs
to spend is dependent upon the complexity of the case and the actions of
the opposing party or attorney.
