The Guided (Live) Legal Orientation
If you are like many people thinking about or going through a divorce, custody or other family legal change, this may be your first time talking with a lawyer.
Even if you have worked with lawyers before, this may be the most personal situation about which you need legal help.
That's because family law cases cut as close to the bone as just about any legal case can: your children, your home, your financial security are at stake.
In fact, your hopes, dreams and fears are all on the line.
It's a lot and we get it.
We can help, whether you:
- are thinking about starting a case to make legal changes in your family
- are in the middle of a case you or someone else began
- went through court before but now need to change or enforce your judgment
The Legal Orientation is more than a consult; it is your first step.
"Immeasurably Helpful"
Rogue Family Law's help and guidance was immeasurably helpful to me. They took the time to listen and understand, and to explain confusing legal details and procedures. They gave me the confidence to address my case, and helped me to prepare to represent myself at hearings.
- Jane, Unbundled Client, March 2023
Many clients have told me that they have left paid legal consults with too little information about the issues, costs and likely outcomes.
Unfortunately, people aren’t always told about the different ways in which they can work with a lawyer or the available choices they have to resolve their family law issues without going to court. Instead, they get either a one-hour sales pitch OR an extended interview so the lawyer can decide if they want this potential client.
Usually, the process ends with a request to hand over a retainer (usually in the thousands of dollars) and to sign a contract agreeing to pay monthly bills without being told how much or how long those bills will be coming. Sometimes the paid consult even ends with a lawyer refusing (hopefully politely) to work with the potential client.
So, what's your alternative?
We built the Legal Orientation to be more helpful and valuable whether this is your 1st or 21st time talking to a lawyer. Our Legal Orientations help families decide how they want to move forward from whatever place they are by explaining:
- how court works
- choices families have in the process
- choices families have in how they work with lawyers
- next steps to take on day 1 (without spending more money)
We don't assume
- you want to commit to hiring us
- you are willing to agree to pay any bill, in any amount, for any length of time
- you want to go through the stress, delays and costs of going to trial
Our job is to empower you to succeed in your goals by giving you the information, choices and support you need. We help you decide on the path and next steps that are right for you. Whether you choose one of our programs or decide to hire a lawyer to go to court for you, the point is that you get to decide so we give you the information to do that.
"I felt less overwhelmed and more confident in the undertaking."
Samantha was incredibly helpful throughout my entire divorce process. She conducted a Legal Orientation with me to help me understand that entire process before even initiating the Divorce Conversation.
I felt less overwhelmed and more confident in the undertaking. She listened, heard, understood and remembered my situation each time we spoke. She met with me at my pace throughtout the process and at every stage gave me incredibly helpful advice, tailored to my unique situation and always held the intention of keeping my divorce out of court.
She is a clear, direct and compassionate communicator and guided me well through this life altering transition. I am so grateful and have recommended her to several women seeking to successfully and peacefully complete their divorce.
- Brigid, Unbundled Client, November 2022
How Does the Guided
Legal Orientation Work?
By giving you information you need, you are empowered to make informed decisions and better manage the stress, costs, and complexity of the family law system. Whether you are facing court for the first time OR have already gone through a case but now need to change or enforce the judgment, a legal orientation is the first step.
Topics include:
- the law about your key legal issues and your likely outcomes so you are informed and clear about the results you want
- the processes that apply and a recommended approach so you can move forward with confidence and focus
- your options to resolve your case on your terms without getting stuck in someone else's trial assembly line
- how we can help so you don't have to go it alone or break your budget
- your next steps to begin and prepare for what comes next so you aren't feeling stuck or overwhelmed
- what you can do with our Legal Orientation Workbook to reinforce your learning and get started with our worksheets
And finally, and most importantly, you will leave equipped with what you need to start your journey from where you are (likely an uncomfortable "before") to a better "after" (where you want to be) with more confidence, hope and clarity no matter which path you choose.
Our Guided Legal Orientation is for You If. . .
You're just starting your family legal journey
At this stage, you're considering your options and looking for direction and help; whether to start a case or how to respond to one.
The Legal Orientation gives you the big picture information about Oregon family law, including the 6 phases of the court process, our "PEACE" methodology, and different ways you can save money, time, and lower stress in the long run.
Even if you have been through a case before but need to make changes or enforce your judgment, you need to understand the phases for a "post-judgment" case and the legal standards and processes that apply to it (as they are different).
You're shopping for lawyers and want to pick the best one
You wouldn't hire a contractor for your home or a mechanic for your car without asking them about their
- experience
- qualifications
- approach
- record of successes
Part of the Legal Orientation will involve questions you can and should ask to evaluate both the WHO and the HOW of resolving your family law issue. Find the best legal choice for your situation --whether that is a lawyer, a process or a combination of the two.
You want a second opinion about your legal options
You wouldn't get surgery without getting a second opinion, so why do it with something as serious as your family law case?
We start our Legal Orientation with information and our opinion, but we are happy to help you analyze and understand what you have learned already.
Whether you have done a first consult or have read up on family law on your own, we can help you sift through this information so you are clear on your legal options, likely outcomes and next steps to move your situation to a resolution.
The One-on-One, Guided Legal Orientation is
by Application Only
Due to the personalized nature of the Guided Legal Orientation, we offer this by application. This avoids ethical conflicts, helps ensure we are a good fit and that you will benefit. Here's how that works.
Step 1: Submit the required application form below before you purchase.
Step 2: We'll review it on our end to make sure we can help.
Step 3: You'll get a booking link that lets you pay and schedule your Legal Orientation OR you'll get other options to help you on your legal journey.
Step 4: During your 1 hour Legal Orientation, you'll cover all the points we describe above with experienced Family Law Attorney Samantha D. Malloy and answer your questions.
"No one can do what she does!"
Samantha is the best attorney I have ever met or heard of. She is experienced, strategic, very very smart, organized and knows what she’s doing. I feel so so lucky to have found her during such a hard time. Most attorneys will say they are those things I listed but many are not. I worked with various attorneys and she is the most efficient and knows how to prioritize massive amounts of information.
She ended up being the cheapest of all I worked with because she is so good at what she does and spends half the time others do on consolidating evidence and info as well as on talking me through things. I had a very complex situation involving domestic violence, mental health issues and custody. I talked to many attorneys and what I learned is that most say they know about domestic violence and mental health issues but they don’t really. Samantha does. She has not only helped guide me through the court system (where judges often also dont usually know about domestic violence and mental health issues) but she also advised me on my own journey and what professionals to see through very hard times because I too didnt know about those things. She could understand my PTSD and work with me to learn about the situation I was in and how to navigate court when I was having to face retriggering things and people and relive incidents that were traumatic.
She also listens. Which seems like that shouldn’t be hard to do but many attorneys don’t listen to their clients (except at that first meeting). She believes in her clients and their guidance. She also explains things so clearly. The system is really confusing and a different culture and language and she could see from my perspective, a beginners perspective, and explain all that was happening and going to happen. It is a rough journey going through court and she was my guide. She also does not sugar coat anything. She says what needs to be said which isnt always easy but is definitely needed for the best outcome and success as well as healing. She also knows about personality disorders and high conflict cases which is a whole different ball game in court. She would be great for any situation even a more straight forward one but when entering court with a manipulative, dishonest, narcissist or sociopathic type you must have someone who knows these situations and how to keep you and your family as safe as possible. You can’t control all outcomes of course but my goal was to find someone who did all they could within a system that sometimes doesnt protect us. I needed to know I couldn’t have done anything else to help my family in court. And having Samantha made me 100% sure there is nothing else I could have done and we got more safety than I imagined possible. She also is willing to work as a team and work with other attorneys.
In my situation I needed to go to court with an attorney and she doesn’t go to court now so she helped organize things with me for him. Had I not had an attorney I would have felt totally prepared with her support and prep work. The only downside to Samantha is that no other attorney can do what she does and if you have to have another attorney you will be disappointed they aren’t her. But given she will talk to and (gently) coach other attorneys she brings the best out in other attorneys as well. I was lucky to have a very smart and kind attorney who could go to court and was willing to talk to Samantha and get advice and create the strongest case I could have had.
Most attorneys don’t get the danger of domestic violence situations and she does and she can explain it clearly and in ways a judge might be able to hear it. I wish all attorneys were trained by her. Judges too. She knows how to protect people and families as much as is possible within the system. It’s hard for me to believe we did so much and went through so much info and evidence and got it all widdled down. It was so overwhelming at first. And thanks to her me and my children have more safety and freedom than we’ve ever had. I just can’t say enough good things about her. I just wish there were more of her.
- MM, Unbundled Client, September 2023
