About Whom Will Handle My Case
Who will actually be doing the work on my case? Will you personally handle the substantive legal work and court appearances or will another attorney or staff member handle portions of it?
I personally handle the legal strategy, court appearances, negotiations, and the work that requires an attorney’s judgment. MJ Miller Law is a small family-law practice. That is intentional. You are not handed off to a rotating cast of associates.
Staff support the file so work moves efficiently: gathering documents, drafting under my direction, scheduling, and client communication. I review and take responsibility for what is filed and what is said in court.
If someone else is working on my case, what work will they be doing, and what will you personally oversee?
Typical staff work includes organizing exhibits, preparing drafts from my outline, calendaring deadlines, requesting records, and answering routine status questions.
I personally oversee strategy, legal research that drives a decision, pleadings and motions before they are filed, settlement positions, and all hearings. If a task requires a licensed attorney, it stays with me unless we have agreed in writing that another attorney will cover a specific appearance.
How much experience do you personally have with cases similar to mine?
I have practiced family law in Northern Nevada since licensed in Nevada in 2010. My work is concentrated in divorce and legal separation, child custody and support, minor guardianship, grandparent and third-party visitation, modifications, and LGBTQIA+ family matters, including second-parent adoption and legal name and birth-certificate corrections.
“Similar” still depends on your facts: the courthouse, whether the case is contested, whether there are safety issues, and whether the other party is represented. In a consult I will tell you how close your situation is to work I handle regularly—and if it is not a good fit, I will say so.
Have you handled cases in the specific Reno/Washoe County court where my case will be heard?
Yes. A large part of my practice is in Washoe County Family Court. I also accept cases in other Northern Nevada counties, including [Lyon, Churchill, Carson City, Humboldt, and others as applicable]. Procedures and judicial preferences differ by department. I will guide you through based on my experience and knowledge.
Communication & Availability
How quickly do you normally respond to client emails and phone calls?
Our goal is to return non-emergency calls and emails within 48 hours. Complex questions often take longer. Urgent court deadlines and safety issues are treated first.
If something urgent happens, how do I reach you? Is there an after-hours or emergency procedure?
Call the office at (775) 460-4987 and email the attorney and support staff assigned to your case. True emergencies—immediate safety of a child, a law-enforcement situation—should also go to 911 or law enforcement when safety is at risk. We are a small office, not a 24/7 call center. We will tell you in writing what “urgent” means for your case. After hours use the number and leave a message or email both attorney and office staff
Who should I contact for routine questions—you, your legal assistant, or another staff member?
All emails should be directed to both your attorney and the support staff assigned to your case. This will ensure your question is handled by the appropriate person.
8. How will you keep me updated about my case? Will I receive copies of filings, court orders, correspondence, and other important documents?
You should receive copies of filings we make, filings we receive, court orders, and important correspondence. We typically send those by email.
We will also tell you when a hearing is set, what we need from you, and what the next deadline is. Updates are more frequent when a hearing or negotiation is active, and quieter when we are waiting on the court or the other side. Send by email.
If I disagree with or don’t understand something happening in my case, how easy is it to discuss that with you?
Say so directly. Family law is stressful, and confusion is normal. I would rather pause and explain than have you leave a meeting unsure.
Disagreement is different from confusion. I will give you my professional recommendation and the reasons. The decisions that belong to you—whether to settle, what parenting schedule you will accept, whether to take a matter to hearing—stay yours. I will not pretend a weak position is strong to keep you comfortable.
Fees & Billing
What is your hourly rate, and what does my initial retainer cover?
I do not have one set hourly rate and initial retainer are case dependent. This will be discussed more thoroughly at your initial consult.
The initial retainer is an advance against fees and costs, not a flat fee and not a guarantee of the total cost. Unused retainer funds are refundable after the representation ends and the final bill is reconciled, subject to the fee agreement
Do you bill for emails, phone calls, text messages, document review, legal research, and conversations with your staff?
Yes, attorney time is generally billed for work on your case. That includes calls, emails, texts that require a substantive response, document review, legal research, drafting, negotiations, court time, and travel to court when applicable.
Short scheduling emails may be handled by staff at a lower rate or, in some cases, not billed. The fee agreement controls. If you want to keep costs down, batch non-urgent questions instead of sending many separate messages.
What is the billing rate for your paralegal or legal assistant, if they work on my case?
The firm does not have a set rate for paralegals or legal assistant. This fee will be discussed at your initial consult. The fees are billed in six-minute increments and will be clearly reflected on your billing. Using staff for appropriate tasks is usually less expensive than having the attorney do every administrative step. -$175/hr in 6 min increments.
Do you charge for administrative tasks, copying, postage, filing, electronic communication, or other costs in addition to attorney fees?
Yes. Court filing fees, service of process, copy and postage costs, certified records, and similar out-of-pocket costs are billed in addition to attorney time. We do not mark these up as a profit center; they are costs of the case. Electronic filing fees charged by the court or e-filing vendor are passed through.
Strategy & Expectations
What is your strategy for my particular situation, and what would you not recommend doing?
Strategy is case-specific. In general I start with the child’s safety and stability, the actual evidence, and what a Washoe County (or other local) judge is likely to do—not what feels fair in the abstract.
I usually do not recommend: filing everything at once out of anger; using the child as a messenger; posting about the case on social media; refusing reasonable interim parenting time without a safety basis; or spending the retainer on fights that will not change the outcome.
I will give you a recommended first set of steps after I have the facts, the existing orders, and the other party’s posture.
What do you see as the strongest and weakest parts of my case? I’d rather hear the difficult truth than be told what I want to hear.
I will tell you both. Strengths are usually documented facts: a stable home, consistent care, clean drug tests, a workable schedule, or a history that matches what the statutes require.
Weaknesses are usually gaps: missing records, inconsistent parenting time, messages that will look poorly in court, unrealistic schedules, or a request the law does not support.
If I only tell you what you want to hear, I have not done my job. You can get that from a friend. You are hiring counsel.
What are the realistic outcomes you think I could achieve, and what outcomes are probably unrealistic?
Realistic outcomes depend on Nevada law, the best-interest factors, existing orders, and the evidence. “Primary custody because I am the better parent” is often unrealistic without facts that match the statute. “The other parent disappears from the child’s life because I am angry” is usually unrealistic.
More realistic goals are often a workable parenting schedule, clear decision-making language, support calculated correctly and orders the other party can actually follow. I will map likely / possible / unlikely after I review your file—not before.
If this were your family member’s case, what would you tell them to do—and what would you tell them not to do?
I would tell them: get organized, tell the lawyer the unflattering facts first, put the child’s routine ahead of winning the argument, and settle the issues that are not worth a hearing.
I would tell them not to: coach the child, violate an order because it feels unfair, hide income or accounts, or treat the lawyer as a therapist or a weapon.
I cannot be your relative’s lawyer and I cannot promise the result I would want for my own family. I can promise a direct assessment and a plan that matches the court you are actually in.