Rhonda R. Werner Schultz

Rhonda Schultz

I am saddened to hear this criticism. Due to attorney client confidentiality rules I cannot comment regarding any specific case. I can say that as a general rule I fight hard for my clients in every case. I communicate options to my clients about prospective outcomes in court and how to proceed with their case. I involve my clients in the process so that they have an active say in how things are progressing. People often do not understand the rules of evidence or the court process, but I do. Even if I explain that process some people do not want to follow my advice or do not understand despite my best efforts to inform. That is their choice, but there are consequences for that. The evidence rules are complicated and often times are not common sense rules and instead rules that serve the legal process, so they may appear unfair but this is the system within which we must work. I always have a retainer agreement with clients that spells out what they will be charged for. My staff and I often remind people to consolidate their questions and concerns to avoid being charged for too much time spent on their case. Sometimes this cannot be avoided depending on the issues. My fees are directly related to the amount of time I spend working on each case. Some are more expensive due to more needs or demands of a client. My staff and I are always willing to help people understand my invoices and the billing process - I have yet to find a legal billing system that is not complicated to understand. Nevertheless, we spend a great deal of time explaining to clients why certain items are billed as shown on their invoice. I cannot guarantee any specific outcome on any case and sometimes things do not go the way the client wants or as I want, but I am there every step of the way. I do not hide information from my clients and share all communications between opposing counsel, the Court and witnesses with my clients so they are fully informed.