Law Office of Laura A. Yiengst, LLC FAQ

Monday to Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

After-hour appointments for existing clients can be scheduled if necessary.

Court closure schedule followed for holidays and inclement weather.

Please call us at (302) 264-9780 to schedule a new client consultation. Please be prepared to advise the office staff scheduling the appointment regarding the names of all parties involved and the nature of the case. When you are scheduling, we will inform you about parking, any consultation fee, and available methods of payment for the consultation. Any retainer fee will be discussed at the consultation.

Please bring all paperwork you have concerning your case to your appointment. Be prepared with any questions you may have and your goal in handling your case.

Ms. Yiengst is licensed in all Courts in Delaware, Federal Court, and U.S. Supreme Court. She routinely handles cases in all three counties. If travel is required to either New Castle or Sussex County, Ms. Yiengst only charges for one-way travel in hourly cases and a slightly higher amount on flat fee cases to account for the extra time. Although she is licensed in Colorado and Pennsylvania, she is inactive in these states. If your case requires representation in another state, Ms. Yiengst will make every effort to refer you to an attorney or agency in that state.

You must schedule an appointment for a consultation prior to representation for a family law or domestic case. In rare cases, when there has been an established relationship or an emergency, you may be directed to drop off paperwork for review so that a retainer can be quoted first. Criminal law clients may also be required to do this. There are established ethical requirements for attorney-client relationships that must be followed to protect the clients. Our office cannot work on your case until there is an established relationship.

A client's retainer is based on the type of case and nature of the services. In most cases, a retainer is taken in advance, and payments are taken out of it each month depending on the hourly rate and amount of time spent on your case. In other cases, a flat fee is charged at the beginning of the case. Regardless of the manner of payment, you will receive monthly bills outlining payments made. Your payment method is discussed at your consultation, and you will receive a fee contract outlining the agreement reached.

In some cases, filing fees and other necessary litigation fees will be paid out of your retainer. However, you are not charged for routine mailing and copying costs. Alternative payment arrangements can be discussed at your consultation.

We accept cash, checks, MasterCard, and Visa.

You are encouraged to discuss your case with office staff. The staff will keep your case confidential. However, there is no attorney-client privilege with them, and they cannot offer legal advice. It is vital that you utilize the staff to leave detailed messages or questions about your case. Sometimes, with Ms. Yiengst's trial schedule, it is more efficient to have a message or question relayed through staff with the staff returning your call.