shlep: the Self-Help Law ExPress

The Idaho courts are certainly on the cutting edge of unbundling legal services, as this site kindly pointed out to the FutureLawyer by David Giacalone shows: Idaho Supreme Court Self-Help Center. The site brings together attorneys and clients who wish to share the load in self representation, and, since it is court sponsored, it removes some of the anxiety lawyers feel about liability and other concerns of giving up some control. I have unbundled primarily by delegating investigative, research, and other tasks not directly related to the presentation of cases, with some success. Clients generally appreciate being involved in the case, and substantial cost savings can result. In future posts, I will talk about standard engagement agreeements, the types of work that can be severed and performed by clients, and some of the ethical and liability concerns.