LEGAL ASSESSMENTS AND ACTION PLANS
You do not have to know what the problem is called.
Many people contact a law firm knowing something is wrong but not knowing which part of it is a legal problem. A legal assessment is a defined piece of work that answers that question in writing before you commit to anything larger.
This page is general information about the kinds of matters Yes Legal handles. It is not legal advice about your situation.
THE PROBLEM
The problem this addresses.
Open-ended legal engagements are hard to budget and hard to evaluate. You may not know whether you have a strong position, whether a deadline has already passed, or whether the matter is worth pursuing at all. Paying hourly to find out is uncomfortable, and free consultations rarely go deep enough to answer it.
A legal assessment inverts that. The scope is agreed first, the deliverable is a written memorandum, and the output is a decision you can act on, including the decision not to proceed.
WHAT AN ASSESSMENT CAN COVER
Matters that may fall within this area.
Depending on the matter and the scope agreed in advance, an assessment may include any of the following.
Initial review of the issue as you describe it
Review of the relevant documents you provide
Identification of deadlines or procedural concerns that may apply
Preliminary identification of the legal issues involved
Identification of information that is missing and would change the analysis
Evaluation of the practical options actually available to you
Written findings explaining what the facts and law appear to support
Recommended next steps, including steps you may be able to take yourself
Whether Yes Legal can assist with any particular matter depends on the facts, on a conflict check, and on current commitments. Nothing on this page is an offer to represent you.
THE INTRODUCTORY CALL
What an introductory conversation can determine.
The introductory call is a free call about intake, scope, and fit. No legal advice is given during it, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
FIRST
Introductory call
A short call to understand the issue, identify anything time-sensitive, and determine whether Yes Legal is the right fit. This call is for intake and scope. It is not legal advice and no advice is given during it.
THEN
Paid Phase 1 assessment
If review is warranted, the firm defines a Phase 1 engagement. Scope, deliverables, timing, and price are confirmed with you in writing before any payment is made and before work begins.
NEXT
Written memorandum
You receive a written memorandum or another clearly defined deliverable setting out the findings, the practical options, and the recommended next steps.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
The deliverable, not just the meeting.
A defined scope
Before work begins, the engagement identifies the materials to be reviewed, the issues to be assessed, and the deliverable you will receive.
Independent analysis
An evaluation of the facts, documents, applicable law, available evidence, costs, risks, and practical constraints, rather than confirmation of a preferred answer.
A written action plan
A memorandum setting out the assessment, the options available, the recommended next steps, and the tasks you may be able to handle yourself.
Options for further help
Where more work makes sense, the memorandum identifies what the next phase would be: drafting, negotiation, pre-litigation work, litigation support, or ongoing counsel.
WHEN AN ASSESSMENT FITS
Matters commonly suited to one.
An assessment tends to be worth it when the right strategy is not yet clear, the documents need careful review, or you want to understand the risk before deciding how much further to invest.
Pre-litigation disputes. Potential claims, defences, evidence, exposure, and the practical alternatives to a filing.
Contracts and business negotiations. Agreements, proposed transactions, ownership questions, negotiations, and disputes that are still developing.
Employment and severance matters. Severance terms, workplace disputes, compensation questions, policies, and what the available next steps are.
Demands and settlement decisions. Whether to send, answer, negotiate, escalate, or resolve a demand.
Other legal problems. Anything requiring document review, research, independent analysis, and a practical strategy.
BEFORE YOU CALL
What to have ready.
None of this is required in order to make contact. Having it to hand makes the conversation more useful.
A short written summary of what happened and in what order
The names of every other person, business, or organisation involved, which the firm needs for a conflict check
Any contract, agreement, letter, notice, or court paper you have received
Any date that is fixed, such as a hearing, a filing deadline, or a date by which you have been asked to sign or respond
What you would like the outcome to be, in plain terms
Please do not send documents, account numbers, medical records, or anything privileged until the firm has run a conflict check and asked for them.
AFTER THE CALL
Possible next steps.
Act on the plan yourself
Some memoranda conclude that you can handle the next step without counsel. Where that is the case, the memorandum says so and explains what the step involves.
Engage the firm for defined work
A limited-scope engagement can cover one document, one negotiation, or one stage, with the boundaries written down before work starts.
Move to fuller representation
Where the matter warrants it, representation beyond the assessment can be arranged. That always requires a separate written agreement.
What contacting the firm does not do
Sending a message, submitting the intake form, or speaking with the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship, does not mean Yes Legal has accepted your matter, does not guarantee any outcome, and does not protect or extend a filing deadline. Representation begins only after conflicts are cleared and a written engagement agreement is signed.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask about this.
How much does an assessment cost?
Price depends on the matter, because the amount of material to review varies widely. The firm does not publish a figure that would not apply to your situation.
What is fixed is the sequence: scope, deliverables, timing, and price are all confirmed with you before you pay anything and before work begins. You will not receive an invoice for work you did not agree to.
Does paying for an assessment mean the firm is representing me?
No. An assessment is a defined piece of work with a defined deliverable. Representation beyond the assessment requires a separate written engagement agreement.
Does an assessment guarantee a particular result?
No. An assessment tells you what the facts and law appear to support and what your practical options are. It does not promise any outcome, and no assessment can.
What if the assessment finds I have no case?
Then it says so, in writing, with the reasons. Knowing early that a matter is not worth pursuing is one of the more useful results an assessment can produce.
I think a deadline is close. Should I still start here?
Call the firm on (619) 491-7076 rather than waiting for a form response. Submitting the intake form does not protect or extend any deadline. If you cannot reach the firm and a date is approaching, contact another attorney promptly.
RELATED
Other pages that may be relevant.
Contracts and Business
Drafting, review, revision, and negotiation of California contracts and business agreements, structured around the decision you are actually making.
Disputes and Pre-Litigation
Demand letters, responses, negotiation strategy, settlement analysis, and pre-litigation planning for California disputes, built around your objective and your leverage.
Limited-Scope Services
Limited-scope representation for a specific California document, decision, negotiation, or stage, with the boundaries defined in writing before work begins.
START HERE
Request an introductory call.
Describe what happened, what you need, and whether a date is approaching. Yes Legal will review the information and contact you about the next step, including when it cannot take the matter.
Contacting Yes Legal does not create an attorney-client relationship. Representation begins only after a written engagement agreement is signed.