I take all matters based on my case load and whether the case resonates with me. A meeting alone does not establish an attorney-client relationship. That relationship begins only after I have accepted the case and we have both signed a written retainer agreement.
A meeting, including a free phone consult, does not establish an attorney-client relationship. I represent one party only. I do not invent published prices for small-claims or Special Civil appearances; where a limited-scope range already lives on the Fees page, that is what I quote from.
Special Civil Part (New Jersey)
Money disputes within Special Civil limits.
New Jersey’s Special Civil Part is where many mid-dollar civil cases live: contract disputes, collections, and other money claims that fit the Part’s limits. I take Special Civil work when caseload and resonance allow — collections defense or offense as I take them, contract disputes that fit this office, and related limited-scope help.
I have not published a flat fee for a general Special Civil appearance on this site. If you need a defined piece of help — draft one pleading, a demand letter path that already has a published fee, or one limited appearance — look at the existing limited-scope ranges on Fees, or ask for a quote after we talk. Nothing is invented here.
Small Claims
The Small Claims section of Special Civil.
Small Claims is the lower-dollar, more informal section of Special Civil Part. It is for disputes that fit those limits — still court, still real money, usually without the full weight of a Law Division case.
I help with small-claims matters when they fit: advising on whether Special Civil or Small Claims is the right track, limited-scope drafting, and representation when I accept the case under a written retainer. Published prices for a small-claims appearance are not invented on this page. Demand letters and limited-scope drafting that already have published fees or ranges are on the Fees page.
General civil — limited scope
Draft one pleading. A demand letter. One appearance.
Not every civil problem needs an open file. Limited-scope civil help can mean drafting one pleading or certification, a demand letter where a published fee already exists, hearing coaching without an appearance, or one limited court appearance. Those ranges are already published under limited-scope help on the Fees page:
- Draft one pleading or certification — $350–$650
- Hearing coaching, no appearance — $300–$450
- One limited court appearance — $750–$1,250
- Strategy session, 60 minutes — $175–$250
Each still needs a written limited-scope retainer. See limited-scope fees.
Landlord / tenant
L&T sits in Special Civil Part in New Jersey.
Landlord/tenant cases are civil cases. In New Jersey they are heard in the Special Civil Part. Security-deposit recovery has published fees. Tenant defense, habitability, illegal lockouts, and landlord evictions I believe in are quoted after a conversation. The stance and the housing fees live on Housing.
Security-deposit demand letter — $175. Demand plus complaint — $395. With an appearance — $650. See also Fees.
Car accident negotiation
A civil path that is not contingency.
Car-accident settlement negotiation is a civil path in this office: one negotiation session and one demand letter for $500. I do not take a percentage of your settlement, and I do not work on contingency. If you are looking for a lawyer who only gets paid when you win, I am glad to refer you to one — but since I am just starting my own practice, I cannot offer that arrangement yet.
See the car-accident fee →
Mediation
Civil or family mediation as a neutral.
A 2-hour private mediation session is $640. I mediate as a neutral — I do not represent either side. This is not the court’s mediation program. Details are on Fees.
What this page is not
No invented small-claims or Special Civil appearance prices.
If a dollar amount is not already published on Fees, it is quoted after I know the facts — or it is not offered. I do not hold this office out for criminal defense, immigration, patent, securities, or tax-controversy representation. Contested Law Division trials and open-ended litigation are not the flat-fee model; those start with a consult and, if I take them, hourly work at $275 through December 8, 2026 ($350 thereafter) with a retainer.