Kimbrolaw.com is live!

The website went completely live last night. This means that anyone interested can register for their own account and have access to the "ask a lawyer" function. As with any new site, there are sure to be some things in the layout and usability which might need improvement. I'm looking forward to receiving such critiques from potential clients and working to improve the site. My next step is to get the word out to people who might benefit from having access to an affordable, online law office.

Slow but steady...

The payment and "ask an attorney" function of the website is still in the process of beta testing. We are trying so hard to make sure that everything is in compliance with the NC Bar and also easy to understand and use for the clients. Therefore, we are taking our time to make sure the site is done to the best of our ability.

In the mean time, I have been practicing law locally from my home. I have worked on several estate planning projects and a small business setup. I thoroughly enjoy practicing law independently. The total responsibility for a legal matter motivates me much more than when I was practicing in firm and sharing different aspects of a legal case with several other legal professionals. With my home practice, I feel that I can take the time I need to so that I can focus on a client's needs without having to worry about billable hours. I think it humanizes the practice of law more to focus on the client as a customer and not focusing on their legal matter in terms of how much time it will take you to work on it and what that will equate to in billable hours at the end of the day. So I am more optimistic each day that Kimbro Legal Services @ kimbrolaw.com will serve as a great way to practice law for me as an attorney who needs the flexibility to stay at home and care for her young child and at the same time provide quality legal services in a more customer-friendly method. Of course, I am prepared for the potentially negative feedback from traditional attorneys that I may receive once I start marketing the website and business. But I think by maintaining my professionalism online and in my marketing strategies and by making this website secure and safe for clients, I can convince other attorneys that this can be an alternative to the traditional, physical law firm.

Once the website is completely operational, I plan on blogging on NC related legal matters related to the services I plan to offer. Please check back later in the summer.

Creating a Virtual Law Practice

As an attorney, I believe that quality legal services should be available to all citizens regardless of their income levels. Many times clients are unable or unwilling to pay hundreds of dollars per billable hour to meet with an attorney in person when they have only general legal questions or need basic legal guidance. I created Kimbro Legal Services, LLC at www.kimbrolaw.com as a way to provide North Carolina citizens with affordable, limited legal services. I believe that kimbrolaw.com may be the first completely virtual law firm in North Carolina. A NC Bar Ethics Opinion passed in January, 2006 allowing virtual law practices, but I have been developing the concept for this website and firm for a couple years now.

Why create a virtual law firm? First, the number of pro se litigants has been rising and courts are increasingly faced with the challenges and strains this increase creates both legally and administratively on the court systems. Many pro se litigants exist because they cannot afford to retain an attorney. A 2003 American Bar Association's Report of the Modest Means Task Force stated that one method by which attorneys can improve the fairness of the American legal system is to provide limited legal services "to people who cannot afford 'full-service' representation." Handbook on Limited Scope Legal Assistance, A Report of the Modest Means Task Force, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, 2003.

Second, without the high overhead costs of a physical law office, Kimbro Legal Services provides clients with limited legal counseling and assistance in civil matters, including the preparation of basic legal documents, such as Partnership and Operating Agreements for small businesses, Residential and Commercial Lease Agreements, Estate Planning materials, Estate Administration forms, and other contracts and agreements prepared in accordance with North Carolina Law. I am just beginning to build the law firm's business, but I am highly optimistic that it will be a productive method of providing cost-effective and efficient legal services for people who have questions about North Carolina law.