Colorado Divorce Cooperating Attorney & Our Fees
	Summary. Sometimes one or both parties want the right to have their present attorney represent that at trial if settlement cannot be reached. In order to settle the disputed issues, both parties and their attorneys can sign an agreement to make their best efforts to resolve all disputed issues, but if a settlement cannot be reached, then the present attorneys may represent their clients at a trial.

Cooperating Attorney Services
Sometimes the parties to a divorce or other legal proceeding really do want to settle all disputed issues themselves. However, if a settlement cannot be reached, then they want to use their present attorneys at trial..

In contrast, if the collaborative law model (teamworks) is used, if settlement cannot be reached then the attorneys involved in the collaborative law effort cannot represent the parties at trial. This restriction gives a financial incentive to the parties and their attorneys to successfully settle all disputed issues without going to court.

The only significant difference between the cooperating attorney model and traditional litigation, is that in the cooperating attorney model everyone concerned agrees to try to resolve all issues without going to court. In the traditional litigation model, one or both attorneys have no interest in settling any of the issues. The reason is that the attorneys fees in traditional litigation are much higher. The attorneys make more doing traditional litigation.

If the parties refuse to mediate, then I suggest that the collaborative law model (teamworks) be used. If one or both parties will not agree to use collaborative law, then I suggest reducing legal expenses by using a cooperating attorney agreement to try to stay out of court.

Our Cooperating Fees
A summary of our fees (similar to traditional litigation fees):

Sometimes a flat fee can be quoted for specific tasks. Such as the initial representation up through the first court status conference.

Otherwise, our normal trial fees are $200 per hour for attorney time, $85 per hour for paralegal time, and $45 per hour for general clerk time.

On many cases, the effective legal fee rate is about $110 per hour. This assumes about 1/3 of the time is spent on each of the 3 categories of fees.

Unlike most other law firms, we do not charge for routine faxes or routine photocopies. Bulk copies where more than 100 copies are prepared for a single task or charged at the low rate of .05 per copy.

A retainer amount will be quoted at the time of an initial consultation.

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