the mission of our charleston attorneys
 At
the Futeral Law Firm, the mission of our Charleston lawyers is to
serve the communities of Mount Pleasant, Charleston, and other coastal areas in South
Carolina by providing high quality legal services to individual clients and
businesses in an efficient, timely, and professional manner that adheres to the
highest standards of excellence and integrity, and to charge fees that are fair
and appropriate for our clients. Our Charleston attorneys are committed to safeguarding the
legal rights of South Carolinians in both state and federal court. Our lawyers
represent clients in a many legal matters including personal injury, worker's
compensation, products liability, unfair trade practices, business disputes,
medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, real estate
closings, incorporations, and family law cases. We also represent defendants
regarding state and federal crimes including misdemeanors and felonies.
attorney - client relations
The key to our success as Charleston lawyers depends upon our clients'
satisfaction with our services. So, our attorneys take a "customer-service"
approach which includes:
- returning telephone calls - the single most-frequently registered
complaint with many state bar associations across the country is the failure
of attorneys to return their clients' telephone calls. Depending upon the
urgency of the call, we strive to return telephone calls as soon as possible
and oftentimes return them the same day.
- advising our clients about changes in the law - as we become
aware of changes in the laws of South Carolina or elsewhere, our
attorneys strive to keep our clients informed of these changes before the
client experiences a problem or concern.
- communicating regularly with our clients - we believe it
is important to let our clients know what is happening with their case. So,
we regularly send copies of letters, memos, and court documents to our clients
to give them the status of their case and to educate our clients about the
legal process.
- treating our clients with dignity and respect - at the Futeral Law Firm, we believe that our clients should not feel they are a burden
upon our attorneys or that we are doing them a favor. Because our clients
are our number one priority, we treat them with the dignity and respect they
deserve. With so many law firms to choose from, we deeply appreciate
the opportunity to represent our clients' legal needs in South Carolina.
law firm technology
Technology is essential to the practice of law in the 21st Century. At
the Futeral Law Firm, our lawyers and paralegals have access to some of the
latest advancements in software and equipment to assist them with case
management, client communications, and courtroom presentation:
- case management - we use special legal software known as Amicus
Attorney® to improve the efficiency of
our law firm by organizing and integrating all of our essential client
information into a single system. Using this program, our law firm manages
the critical information in hundreds of client files, which includes: (1)
complete contact information of all persons involved (client, witnesses,
court staff, opposing lawyers, etc.), (2) calendars including events, to-do
items, and deadline reminders, (3) all communications including emails,
telephone messages, and telephone calls, and (4) all client documents
including correspondence and legal briefs. Additionally, we have the
capability of digitally organizing thousands upon thousands of case
documents, including witness testimony, correspondence, and legal documents into a searchable database which
puts the information literally at our fingertips.
- client communications - by combining high-speed internet access
with email, instant messaging, software such as Adobe Acrobat®
and Microsoft Office®, and secure
access to our web server, our lawyers can communicate and work more
efficiently with clients and meet the changing needs of a more
technologically progressive practice of law in South Carolina. We also have
access to online nationwide legal sources and research.
- courtroom presentation - Studies show that approximately 80% of
the information retained by juries in South Carolina and elsewhere is
visual. Thus, our lawyers use cutting-edge technology to organize and
present exhibits, information, and high-impact multimedia presentations at
trial. For example, TrialDirector® is state-of-the-art software which allows
our attorneys to take the courtroom presentation of case exhibits to a new
level by offering side-by-side exhibit comparison, on-screen annotations,
multiple zoom capabilities, and synchronized video displays. Depending on
the type of case, our attorneys may use digital photography, animation, or
3D scene recreations to create dramatic and effective case presentations.
fee structure
There are three basic fee structures for our legal
services. These types of fees depend upon the nature of legal work involved. In
all cases, we work with our clients to come up with fee options and payment
plans that fit within their budget, which include:
- contingency fee - a
contingency fee is a fee based upon a percentage of the recovery for the
client. For example, in plaintiff's claims or personal injury cases, we
typically charge a contingency fee of 33% to 40% of the recovery.
- hourly fee -
in some cases, we bill our clients by the hour for the legal services
performed. An hourly fee is typically charged for consulting work, civil
defense work, or family law cases. It is customary for the client to deposit
a retainer with our firm from which these hours can be billed.
- flat fee - unlike a
contingency fee or a hourly fee, a flat fee is a single amount charged to
the client for the services performed. For example, our firm charges a flat
fee for real estate closings and for most criminal matters such as DUI's and
other offenses.
For more information regarding how our lawyers can assist you with your legal
needs in South Carolina, please contact us locally at (843) 284-5500, toll free
(877) 913-5500,
or send
email to
info@mtpleasantlawyers.com.
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