FAQs - How Does It Work?
What areas of law do you cover?
We concentrate our practice on serving the needs of families, especially families that include individuals with disabilities, as well as gifted students and non-disabled students experiencing problems with the education system. We can help you with:
Advocacy
Early Intervention
Special education
IEPs
504 Plans
Resolution Meetings
Due Process Hearings
Appeals
Federal and state court actions
Gifted education
Transition programs
Suspension and Expulsion
Bullying
Testing Accommodations
Estate Planning
Powers of Attorney
Special Needs Trusts
Guardianship
Medical Assistance
Disability Discrimination
What geographical areas do you serve?
We primarily serve the eastern half of Pennsylvania, (east of Harrisburg) although in some cases we will serve clients farther south or west and we serve all of New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, while most of our practice is concentrated in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and Philadelphia Counties, we also serve clients in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area, Lancaster, Schuylkill, Dauphin and York Counties. When you call us, we will decide together whether we can serve you in an efficient and cost-effective way.
Where is your office?
We are located in Willow Grove, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, one mile south of the Willow Grove Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. [Link to Directions page].
How much will it cost for an initial phone consultation?
There is no charge for the initial phone consultation. A member of our staff will take a history of your case, and will either offer a suggestion or referral for resolving it or, if there is a need for more, schedule you for an in-office appointment with an advocate or attorney. After the intake process, an attorney will speak with you free of charge for an initial telephone call. There is a charge for the in-office appointment, based on the amount of time it takes. Typically, these appointments require one to two hours.
What should I bring to my initial in-office appointment?
For an education appointment, we usually ask that you bring at least the last two years of the student’s records, but please also bring anything else you think will help us to understand your child’s needs . It will streamline your appointment if you put the records in chronological order and bring a copy for us to review. Write down any important questions that you want to be addressed so that we can be sure to cover them during your appointment. Think about the problems your child is experiencing. Most importantly, think about what your child needs, and what you would like to achieve at the end of the process. It may help you to organize your thoughts to fill out our Right to Education Questionnaire [link]. We will explore all of this with you at the appointment, review all of your options, and work with you to put together an action plan to achieve the results you want.
For an estate planning appointment, we ask you to fill out our Estate Questionnaire and to bring it with you to our meeting.
What is a retainer, and why do I need one?
At the conclusion of your appointment, we will decide together whether you need us to take further action on your behalf, or whether you will take the next steps on your own. If you now have the tools to carry on by yourself, you will not need a retainer. If you need further help, we will enter into a written retainer agreement that clearly outlines our expectations of each other at each stage of the process.
Will I need to go to a due process hearing?
We make every effort to resolve issues at the earliest possible stage without sacrificing your results. The vast majority of cases can be successfully concluded without going through a due process hearing.
How can I get my child’s records from the school?
Send a letter to your child’s school requesting all records. You may be charged a reasonable per page copying fee. If the records are extensive, it may keep costs down to make an appointment to review the file, and to copy only those records you do not already have.