Questions clients ask us first

Initial consultations for estate planning and new business formation are complimentary and last 45 minutes. For litigation and M&A, we offer a free 20-minute call, then a fixed-fee case or deal assessment if you would like a deeper review.

Most planning, formation, contract and closing work is flat fee. Litigation and larger transactions are billed hourly with a written phase budget. Sample rate band for this demo site: partners $385 to $495 per hour, associates $245 to $310. Real rates are quoted in your engagement letter.

Flat-fee work is typically billed half at engagement and half at completion. Hourly matters require an advance deposit held in our IOLTA trust account and applied to monthly invoices.

For estate planning and small business clients, we can spread flat fees over three monthly payments at no additional cost.

We return calls and emails the same business day. Urgent litigation matters, such as an application for temporary injunctive relief, are escalated to a partner immediately.

Yes. Most planning and business meetings can take place by secure video. Estate plan signings require witnesses and a notary, which we arrange at our offices or your home.

No. Contacting the firm or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing on this website is legal advice. The relationship begins only when we have checked for conflicts and both sides sign an engagement letter.

Our attorneys are admitted in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. We work with trusted local counsel for matters in other states.

Yes. Many clients use a monthly retainer that covers contract review, employment questions and board advice, with larger projects quoted separately.

Ideally one to three years before going to market, and at the latest before signing a letter of intent. Early involvement protects leverage and price.

Yes. Business divorces are a core part of our litigation practice, and many resolve through negotiated buyouts or mediation.

No. We describe what the problem was, what we did and how the matter ended. Dollar outcomes turn on facts that are never repeated, so publishing them would mislead more than it informs.

A list of assets with approximate values, current beneficiary designations, any existing wills or trusts, and the names of people you are considering as executors, trustees and guardians. Our intake questionnaire walks you through it.

Secure the home and important papers, locate the original will, and do not distribute any assets. Call us for a free first-steps checklist specific to the Connecticut probate district.

Yes. We review existing plans and often update them with amendments rather than starting over.

Connecticut has historically imposed both, with the estate tax exemption tracking the federal basic exclusion amount. Exemption levels and thresholds change, so treat any figure you read as needing verification against current Connecticut law and confirm it with us before planning around it.