Not every divorce requires a lawyer to handle every step from beginning to end.
Some clients want legal assistance with only the parts of their divorce where professional advice or representation is most important. Others may be working within a particular budget or simply want greater control over how their legal fees are spent.
At GJC Law, we offer unbundled legal services, also known as limited-scope legal services. This allows you to engage our divorce lawyers for specific pieces of work while managing other aspects of your matter yourself.
It can also provide greater flexibility in which lawyer performs particular work. For example, you may wish to engage one of our most experienced divorce lawyers for strategic advice, negotiations or a particularly important issue, without necessarily engaging that lawyer to manage every administrative or procedural aspect of your case.
- Unbundled legal services allow you to engage a lawyer for specific parts of your divorce rather than the entire matter.
- They can be useful for people working within a budget or wanting greater control and transparency over legal costs.
- You may engage a senior and highly experienced lawyer for strategic or complex work while limiting the scope of that lawyer’s involvement.
- Where appropriate, work can also be undertaken by lawyers with less seniority at different rates, with senior input where required.
- Limited-scope assistance can include advice, strategy, reviewing documents, drafting, negotiations, financial or parenting issues and preparation for court.
- The scope of work should be clearly agreed at the beginning so that you understand what your lawyer will handle and what you remain responsible for.
– What Are Unbundled Legal Services?
– Why Choose Limited-Scope Legal Assistance?
– What Can Our Divorce Lawyers Help With?
– Can I Engage a Senior Lawyer for Only Part of My Case?
– Can Different Lawyers Work on Different Parts of My Matter?
– Is an Unbundled Service Suitable for Every Divorce?
– How GJC Law Can Help
What Are Unbundled Legal Services?
Unbundled legal services allow you to decide which parts of your divorce you would like a lawyer to handle.
Instead of engaging a law firm for full representation from beginning to end, the scope of the lawyer’s work is limited to specific tasks or stages.
For example, you may be comfortable managing straightforward administrative matters yourself but want legal advice before agreeing to how your HDB flat, matrimonial assets or children’s arrangements will be dealt with.
Singapore Courts confirm that individuals may represent themselves in divorce proceedings and may also engage a lawyer where they require independent legal advice. Self-represented parties, however, remain responsible for complying with the applicable procedures and Court requirements.
Unbundled services sit between these two approaches: you remain involved in managing your matter while obtaining professional legal assistance where you consider it most valuable.
Why Choose Limited-Scope Legal Assistance?
Cost is one reason, but it is not the only reason.
Some clients simply prefer to remain closely involved in their divorce and control how much work is undertaken by their lawyers.
You may consider an unbundled arrangement if you:
- are working within a particular legal budget;
- want greater control over your legal costs;
- are comfortable handling some parts of your divorce yourself;
- need advice about one particular issue;
- want a lawyer to review an agreement before you accept it;
- need strategic advice at an important stage of your divorce; or
- want experienced legal input without necessarily requiring full representation.
The objective is not simply to find the lowest-cost approach. It is to use your legal budget where professional assistance is likely to be most valuable.
What Can Our Divorce Lawyers Help With?
The scope can be tailored to your particular circumstances.
Our divorce lawyers may assist with matters such as:
- providing legal advice about your position;
- developing a divorce strategy;
- reviewing proposed settlement terms;
- advising on child custody, care and control and access;
- advising on maintenance;
- reviewing the division of matrimonial assets;
- considering HDB, CPF, property or business interests;
- drafting or reviewing Court documents;
- preparing affidavits or written submissions;
- assisting with negotiations;
- preparing you for mediation or Court proceedings; and
- representing you for an agreed stage or specific aspect of the proceedings.
The exact scope will depend on your matter and what assistance you require.
Can I Engage a Senior Lawyer for Only Part of My Case?
Yes, subject to the nature of the matter and the agreed scope of work.
This can be one of the advantages of an unbundled arrangement.
You may want one of our most experienced divorce lawyers involved in a particularly important aspect of your case, for example, developing strategy, reviewing a substantial asset settlement, preparing for negotiations or advising on a difficult issue concerning your children.
You do not necessarily have to engage that lawyer to perform every task associated with your divorce.
This allows you to obtain senior legal experience where you believe it matters most while retaining greater control over the overall cost of your matter.
Can Different Lawyers Work on Different Parts of My Matter?
Another way of managing legal costs is to ensure that work is undertaken at an appropriate level of seniority.
Not every task necessarily requires a senior lawyer.
Depending on the matter, certain preparatory or procedural work may be undertaken by a lawyer with less seniority and a different hourly rate, while a senior lawyer provides strategic direction or deals with the more complex aspects of the case.
Our existing approach at GJC Law recognises this type of allocation: appropriate work can be handled at different levels of seniority while senior lawyers remain involved where their experience is required.
This can provide a practical balance between experience, efficiency and control over legal fees.
Is an Unbundled Service Suitable for Every Divorce?
Not necessarily.
Limited-scope representation works best when there is a clear understanding about which responsibilities the lawyer will undertake and which responsibilities remain with you.
If your divorce involves substantial conflict, complicated financial arrangements, urgent applications, significant disputes concerning children, extensive Court proceedings or circumstances where issues are closely interconnected, limited-scope assistance may not be the most practical approach.
A lawyer can discuss the circumstances with you and determine whether a limited engagement is workable or whether broader representation would be more appropriate.
Importantly, the arrangement does not necessarily have to remain fixed. If circumstances change, you can discuss whether the scope of the lawyer’s involvement should also change.
How GJC Law Can Help
At Gloria James-Civetta & Co, we recognise that clients have different circumstances, priorities and legal budgets.
Some clients want us to manage their divorce from beginning to end. Others want assistance only with a particular issue or at an important stage of their matter.
Our unbundled legal services allow us to discuss a defined scope of work based on the assistance you actually require.
This may include engaging one of our more experienced lawyers for strategic or complex advice, using lawyers with less seniority for appropriate work, or limiting our involvement to a particular stage or issue.
The purpose is to give you access to the legal support you need while providing greater visibility and control over how your legal budget is used.
Discuss the Right Level of Legal Support
If you are considering divorce or are already involved in proceedings, speak with GJC Law about the level of assistance you require.
We can discuss whether full representation, limited-scope assistance or a combination of lawyers at different levels of seniority may be appropriate for your circumstances.
For tailored advice about your particular situation, you can arrange a 30-minute or 1-hour Strategic Divorce Consultation with one of our divorce lawyers. SDL currently distinguishes this tailored consultation from its complimentary process-focused consultation.
You decide where you need our assistance. We help you structure the legal support around it.
We’re here for you
At your initial consultation stage, our Divorce Lawyers will:
- Assess if you can file for divorce in Singapore.
- Help you understand each step of the divorce process.
- Address questions & concerns related to divorce process.
- Help you explore your divorce options.
