Our Process
Welcome to the Law Office of Salvatore Ritacco, LLC, also known as Ritacco Law (RL). We are very pleased that you have decided to retain the Law Office of Salvatore Ritacco, LLC as counsel in connection with your matter. The information below will describe how our office will provide legal services to you and how we will be compensated for our services.
You may contact our office by telephone, facsimile, or electronic mail. Please do not send any facsimile or electronic mail with confidential information prior to retaining our office. We will require you confirm receipt of a test email prior to sending any communications.
Prior to taking a summary of your case or your first visit we will need some information about you before we can discuss your case. Please download the background information form by visiting the forms section of our website by clicking on the link:
Background Information. After submitting your background information, a member of our staff will ask you some questions before drafting a summary for counsel. If this is a matter that must be litigated, we will need your contact information and the other party’s information.
If this is an urgent matter, we can expedite this process, but we will require a copy of any file, a signed retainer agreement, and a retainer by wire transfer or a cash payment before we may begin on your case.
Our first step is to check our open and closed files to make sure we do not have a conflict. A conflict could be something that is not apparent. Representing two sellers and not having an agreement on how they will distribute the proceeds of a sale. This conflict can be cured by a simple agreement in our retainer letter.
An even less apparent conflict is representing two creditors who wish to collect from one person or entity. Unless the creditors agree on how any amount received will be distributed, we cannot represent both parties. If both parties were to agree to a percentage of any amount received, our ethic counsel will draft an agreement to remove any conflict later in the case.
Our next step is to obtain any further information about you and the case as necessary to start the case. Our office can represent you for a number of different administrative cases, (please see the section of our website marked: Services), but before we do so, we will need some particulars. Our first consult will require you to meet with counsel to review your matter.
Prior to your first consult you will be required to sign the background information form for our file indicating you have read our introductory letter and a two (2) page summary of policies and procedures with information regarding your first appointment. After reviewing your background information, completing a conflict check, and obtaining a short summary on the case we will contact you. Some matters will require a payment prior to any consult.
Contingency matters such as personal injury cases do not require any retainer. Certain matters will qualify for deferred payment based on an hourly fee for legal services for cases where you have a secured debt. We do provide hybrid agreements for corporate collections and commercial evictions.
Select matters will require a retainer payment (for legal service fees and related costs and fees) in advance of our office accepting and starting on the case (e.g. collections, corporate formation, estate documents, evictions, divorce, driving offenses, real estate transactions etc.). For any reason you do not wish to retain our services we will refund you the amount paid, less any costs or fees. We will provide thirty (30) minutes at no charge.
After your first consult, we will then follow up with:
a. a retainer letter and a retainer agreement setting forth what we hope to accomplish for you and how we will be compensated; or
b. a referral letter; or
c. a letter declining to take on the matter.
Our retainer letter and agreement will generally state whether the case will be billed hourly or on a contingency matter basis. You as the client(s) will be required to sign that you are retaining our services based on the terms of the retainer letter and agreement. We will only represent you based on the statements provided and for the scope stated. We will expressly limit our representation regardless of any other claims available.
Retainer agreements and letters are used to: identify the client and the scope of representation. We will not stay on the case for an appeal of a matter or a counterclaim in a contingency case without renegotiating the terms of our agreement and amending how we will be paid to continue in the case. Unless otherwise specified, RL is not obligated by this agreement to represent the client in any retrial after mistrial or appeal, reversal by an appellate court, proceedings involving probation, parole or other programs, appeals, forfeitures, or any other proceedings or matters of any type. If you want RL to represent you in another matter, you will be required to execute a new agreement.
Start of Representation and Electronic Signature. RL has no obligation to represent you until you (and any guarantors) accept the agreement and make all required payments and deposits. To facilitate the transaction, the client (and any guarantors) and RL may conduct the transaction by electronic means and indicate their intent to enter this agreement by conduct and/or electronic signature. A digital or electronic record of the retainer agreement shall be considered the equivalent of an original for all purposes.
Communications and Contact Information. We will update you as your file progresses. If for any reason an issue arises, we ask that you simply contact us regarding your case and schedule an appointment to discuss your file. You will need to keep RL informed of all changes in your situation or contact information as a change may affect our representation. We will need you to keep our office current with any chance in your address, phone number, and other contact information (if the client fails to do so, client will reimburse RL for all expenses incurred to locate or contact the client).
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