Practicing Exclusively
in the Area of
SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW
Since 1992
Representing Parents and Children in Consultation, Negotiation and Litigation

Consultation

Before I can offer legal advice, it is important that I have the opportunity to review your child's complete school record including discipline, attendance, academic and special education records, if applicable. I realize that sometimes this can seem like a whole lot of irrelevant paper. However, if I am to make a legal judgment regarding the strength of your case it is important that I have the opportunity to review the entire file. I will certainly use my expertise to determine which documents are critical to the case and which are not and I won't waste time reviewing unnecessary documents. However, I prefer to use my legal skills to determine which document is relevant and which is not rather than risk missing something important. My read on your case will be more accurate if I have the opportunity to see all of the record from the start.

Please also supplement the school record with any evaluations you have had completed on a private basis, that have not yet been shared with the school, as well as copies of any correspondence you've had with the school regarding concerns about your child's program. It is most helpful if these documents can be arranged in chronological order from earliest to most recent with the date of each document highlighted.

If you do not have these documents on hand, you have the right to get a copy of your child's entire student record from your school district. State law requires school districts to provide parents with access to their child's student record within ten days of a written request. Schools must furnish a copy of the record for a reasonable fee, not to exceed the cost of reproduction.

Once you gather the documents, please forward them to me at my office along with a brief summary of your child's educational history, including a list of the schools he or she has attended, the Team or school meetings that have occurred in the last year, the names and telephone numbers of any private consultants with whom you have been working, and a short description of your most serious concerns at this time. Once I receive the records, along with an initial retainer fee, I will review them and research the applicable law, if necessary.

You may be aware that in some cases that include litigation against a school district, families may be reimbursed for their legal fees if they win a ruling in their favor. This provision, however, does not alleviate your legal costs throughout the litigation and should not be relied upon given the benefits of settlement short of full hearing.

Once I have completed this initial investigation I will contact you to set up an appointment to meet with you to review my findings. I will also hope to learn from you if you wish to retain me beyond the initial consultation. If we agree to work together, we will review and sign an agreement for representation. If legal representation will not be undertaken, payment for the time spent in investigation and consultation alone will be deducted from the retainer and the remainder, if any, will be refunded to you at the start of the following month. If you would like to schedule a free 15 minute consultation prior to putting together the documents and retainer, please call my office and leave three times that might be convenient for you. I will gladly call to chat with you about my services. I look forward to working with you.