How we work
How the firm works, start to finish.
A clear assessment, honest advice, and disciplined execution, with direct communication from the first call to the final order. The path, the hours, and the terms are all on this page.
I
Consultation
Every engagement begins with a focused consultation. We listen carefully, ask the questions that matter, and give you an honest read on your position before you commit to anything.
II
Strategy
If we take the matter, we build a strategy around your actual goals. You will know what we plan to do, why, and what each step is likely to cost in time and money, all of it in a written scope agreement before work begins.
III
Execution
We move with discipline. You receive regular updates, prompt responses, and direct access to the person handling your case, with no layers and no runaround.
The path in detail
What happens, in order.
Every matter moves through the same steps. Dates and deadlines specific to your case are mapped in writing at engagement.
- BookChoose a 60-minute strategy consultation or a 30-minute advice session on the Book page. Consultations are not scheduled by phone or email.
- Conflict checkBefore anything else, the firm checks the names you provided against its records. If there is a conflict, you hear so promptly and the booking is cancelled without charge.
- InvoiceThe consultation invoice arrives by email. Your time is held once it is paid. Cards, ACH bank transfer, and certified funds are accepted.
- ConsultationOver Google Meet, in English. You receive a candid assessment of your position, the realistic options, and what each would cost in time and money. Bring the papers you have; the firm sorts out what matters.
- Engagement letterIf you go forward, the letter sets out the scope, the fee, how payment works, and the written notice that a Legal Paraprofessional is not a lawyer and advises only within the licensed practice areas. Nothing starts until it is signed.
- The workDrafting, negotiation, mediation, or the courtroom, as the scope provides. Written replies within one business day, documents exchanged through the secure upload, and monthly itemized statements on hourly matters.
- ClosingYou receive copies of everything filed and entered, a short note on what the orders require of you next, and the door stays open for a follow-up call.
What you can expect
Six commitments, kept on every matter.
- Plain languageLegal documents and proceedings are complex by nature. Our job is to translate that complexity into something you can act on. You should never leave a conversation with us wondering what just happened or what comes next.
- Direct accessWhen you retain Entitled Family & Civil Law, you work with the person handling your matter. Calls and emails are returned promptly. Substantive questions are never routed through intake teams or junior staff.
- Strategic restraintAggressive litigation has its place, and it is the answer to some problems. We assess each matter for the most efficient path to your goal, whether that is settlement, mediation, the collaborative process, or trial.
- Transparent billingFees are published and explained at the outset. You receive itemized statements, and nothing on an invoice will surprise you.
- A written scopeEvery engagement is defined in writing before work begins: what is included, what is not, what it costs, and what happens if the matter grows.
- DiscretionYour matter is confidential, and it is handled that way at every step.
Hours and channels
When and how to reach the firm.
HoursMonday to Friday, 9 to 5, Phoenix time. Bookings open 60 days ahead with at least 24 hours' notice.
ConsultationsOnline booking only, on the Book page. No phone intake.
Emailconsultations@entitledlaw.com, answered in writing within one business day. Weekend messages are answered the next business day.
Current clientsA 15-minute follow-up call can be booked from the client tools page. Documents go through the secure upload form.
MeetingsConsultations by Google Meet. Court appearances statewide, and remote where the court allows.
LanguageEnglish, with written correspondence in Spanish. Consultations and court proceedings are held in English.
What you receive
Included in every engagement.
- A conflict checkRun before advice and before payment, on every new matter.
- A written engagement letterScope, fee, payment terms, and the required notice about the license, signed before work begins.
- A written strategyWhat the firm plans to do, why, and what each step is likely to cost.
- Signed, court-ready documentsEach one carrying Sammijo Johnson's name, the title Arizona Legal Paraprofessional, and her license number, with filing instructions when you file yourself.
- Itemized statementsMonthly, line by line, in 15-minute increments, on hourly matters.
- Copies of everythingEvery filing, every order, and every letter sent on your behalf, delivered to you as it happens.
Engagement terms
The terms behind the fees.
The engagement letter governs. These are the standing terms it is built on.
Fees confirmed in writing.Published fees are confirmed in the engagement letter before any work begins. Matters with unusual complexity are quoted at consultation.
Consultation credit.The $275 strategy consultation fee and the $125 advice session fee are credited toward your retainer or flat-fee package if you engage the firm within 30 days.
Retainers in trust.Hourly engagements require a retainer held in the firm's trust account under Arizona Supreme Court Rule 43 and drawn against as services are billed at $250 per hour, in 15-minute increments.
Flat fees.Paid in full or in the installments set out in the engagement letter, which also states when the fee is earned and what happens if the engagement ends early.
Mixed arrangements.Complex matters are often priced as a combination: flat fees for the phases that can be defined in advance and hourly billing at $250 for the contested pieces. The engagement letter sets out which is which before work begins.
Court costs.Filing fees, process servers, and other third-party costs are set by the court or vendor, paid by you directly or reimbursed at cost, and are not professional fees.
Rescheduling.To move a consultation, reply to your confirmation email at least one business day ahead. Bookings require at least 24 hours' notice.
If the matter grows.A limited scope engagement can be expanded by a written amendment. The engagement letter says how, and drafting fees credit toward a package when you upgrade within 30 days.
Conflicts.The firm declines matters where a conflict exists and says so. In a mediation package it serves both parties as a neutral and represents neither.
Concerns.Legal Paraprofessionals are regulated by the Arizona Supreme Court, and complaints are handled through the State Bar of Arizona. Raise any concern with the firm first and it will be answered in writing.
Reserve a consultation.
Need documents prepared today?
Choose a 60-minute strategy consultation or a 30-minute advice session and pick a time on the calendar. The fee is invoiced by email, and the time is held once it is paid.
Entitled Document Services prepares Arizona court documents right now, with published flat fees and service in English and Spanish.