Brock, Payne & Meece P.A., is a full service law firm that works to provide competent and cost-effective representation. Our attorneys specialize in the practice areas of Family Law & Divorce, Estate Planning, Real Estate, Criminal Defense & Traffic Tickets, Civil Litigation, and Personal Injury. Our firm will help you understand how the law impacts your situation, establish realistic goals, and achieve a fair outcome at a reasonable cost. No one ever wants to be involved in a legal action, but we are here to help at those times when experienced and informed legal representation is necessary. We also utilize alternative dispute resolution methods whenever possible and have developed a network of professionals such as financial planners, accountants, counselors and mediators to assist you in matters beyond the scope of your legal situation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ARTICLES AND FORMS
How do I know if I need a lawyer?
There are a number of reasons why people put off involving an attorney in their legal matter such as concerns over cost, feeling intimidated or being unsure where to begin. There are many more reasons why having legal counsel may actually simplify your case and save you time, money, and effort.
- In difficult times, we tend to consult a friend, a spouse, or family member for advice because they are familiar with our situation. An attorney can provide additional valuable advice because their training makes them more familiar with legal situations, which gives them the experience to avoid legal traps and loopholes so that the situation will not become more complicated and costly down the road.
- An attorney is someone hired to zealously represent your interests. Divorces, estates, and other legal issues often have a significant emotional impact on you and those closest to you. Having an informed third party can help you stay focused on your priorities rather than being overwhelmed by your own feelings or from pressure from a spouse or family member.
- While in many cases an attorney is not required, the legal system can be very complicated. Even if you represent yourself, pleadings and documents may need to be filed, hearings requested, motions and orders prepared, and no clerk or judge at the courthouse will be able to walk you through the process. While there are websites that offer advice or do-it-yourself kits, the advice may be outdated, not relevant to your case’s jurisdiction, or not appropriately fit to your particular situation. Even in simple cases, having a lawyer to guide you and protect your rights and interests may save you money and ensure that your interests are adequately protected or asserted.
- Ultimately, the simplest way to find out if you need an attorney is to ask. Contact us to set up a consultation to discuss your concerns and help you determine if you would benefit from legal representation. In most cases, there is no charge for the first thirty minutes of your initial consultation. Many people are afraid to ask for help because they are afraid that a lawyer may be too expensive, but timely legal advice may actually prevent some costly situations from arising or escalating.
How do I find an attorney who is right for me?
Just flipping through the phone book, it’s clear that there are plenty of attorneys out there, but since all law firms are not created equally, choosing a lawyer can seem like a daunting task. Doing a little research is a great way to find one that best suits your needs. When finding any professional, like a new doctor or a dentist, one place to start is with a personal referral, maybe from a friend, colleague, or clergy. The North Carolina Bar Association also provides a listing of member attorneys and their specialties. Having an initial consultation is an excellent way to make sure that you’ve chosen someone with whom you can work closely. Many legal matters deal with very personal issues so it is important to work with someone with whom you have a good rapport, someone you feel you can trust and someone who is attentive to your concerns.
At Brock, Payne & Meece, P.A., our attorneys share a commitment to serving our clients’ interests that stems from the common belief that, as attorneys, it is both our honor and our privilege to serve others. The partners of our firm are highly trained and share a strong belief that it is our responsibility to work with clients and opposing counsels to create the best possible resolution to any conflict.
Check out our Practice Areas to see if any of the descriptions sound like they might fit your situation and help give you some ideas about how to get started.
Why We Are Different
Often, one of the attorneys here at Brock, Payne and Meece will be asked “How are you guys different from (another firm)?” Or, more specifically, we are told “The last attorneys I dealt with did not give enough attention to my case”, “only seemed concerned with their fees”, “would not call me back”, “and promised things they couldn’t deliver."
The list goes on, and it really saddens us to learn of the negative experiences our clients have had, or even expect to have, when they deal with lawyers.
We know that clients often deal with lawyers as a means to an end as with real estate closings or wills, or are forced to seek legal assistance because of difficult circumstances as with family law or criminal matters. Real estate closings and wills often involve transition and tough decisions, not to mention extra costs that clients must incur. Family law, criminal matters and other litigation often come about because of extremely stressful events in peoples’ lives. It is our goal, as well as our duty, to handle all of these situations professionally, efficiently and affordably.
As this firm has grown, we have asked ourselves, “How are we different?” More importantly, “How can we make our legal services a better, richer, and more goal oriented experience for our clients?”
We stress with our associates, our staff, our clients and even in our relationships with other attorneys the following values that we hope set us apart.
Honesty – All we have is our word, and it is paramount to our relationship with you that we always tell you the truth. This is particularly important when we have to tell you things you may not want to hear. So while some attorneys may “inflate” your expectations, we believe it is imperative to give you the benefit of our advice unvarnished, with both the best and worst case scenarios, so that you can make an informed decision. This emphasis on honesty extends to our staff, our billing policies, even to how unpredictable a certain outcome may be.
A View of the Big Picture – Clients have different goals and priorities. While sometimes fairly predictable as to what a certain outcome may be if clients proceed to litigation, we recognize that there are other values besides “winning” that matter. For example, in a family law case, it may be more important to compromise with the other side and be able to co-parent your children in the future than it is to proceed to prove your case in Court. We try to look at the big picture by learning what our clients’ goals are and helping them to achieve them with all the tools at our disposal. We think it is important to look at negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and any other method short of litigation to accomplish our clients’ goals. Having said that, we are also experienced litigators and if you choose to proceed in the Court Room, we will represent you zealously and efficiently. Furthermore, in appropriate matters, we will bring in respected professionals from other fields, whether that be counselors, accountants, real estate appraisers, or business evaluators to help us serve your needs.
Client Service – Simply put, we strive to treat every case as if it is our most important matter that we have before us. We thoroughly inform you of your options. We use a team approach so that you receive the benefit of all our attorneys. We train our staff to be courteous and responsive. We return calls and we keep you informed of the progress of your matter as it progresses.
Affordable Fees – Legal fees are expensive and often the last expense someone wants to incur. We try to temper this fact in several ways. We always let you know to the best of our ability what you can expect in terms of costs, and keep you informed as your case progresses. Because building a relationship is so important to us, we recognize how important it is that your legal fees are affordable. We often work a client’s particular circumstances so that they can have access to the legal system in a way that will not break the bank. We take very seriously the duty to resolve your case in the most favorable way possible at the least possible cost to you.
Importance of Relationships – There are few relationships more intimate and confidential than that of attorneys and their clients. We value the relationships that we have built over the years with our clients and have been pleased to watch these relationships grow over the years. It is not uncommon for someone to buy their first house with us, call us back when they are ready to adopt one of their stepchildren, call us if they have a traffic ticket, ultimately have us incorporate their business or have us help them with estate planning. Nurturing these relationships can be rewarding for our attorneys and our clients.
As members of the legal profession, I hope that you can say that the values we stress here at Brock, Payne & Meece are universal to all attorneys, and I know many of my colleagues do share these values. It is our hope that as you look either forward to your relationship with us or as you look back at the conclusion of our representation, you can say that Brock, Payne & Meece really is different in a way that has been helpful to your particular situation.
Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Our firm provides this information simply for the use and benefit of our clients and potential clients. We hope the information will be a helpful guide to the processes used to resolve cases in North Carolina and to the various issues that may arise. This information is a general summary and is not a comprehensive explanation of North Carolina law. It is also not a substitute for seeking the advice of an attorney with regard to your particular case and we strongly advise you to meet with an attorney experienced with your type of matter.
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