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In depth
An engagement letter is a written agreement specifying the terms of legal services — the scope of work, fees, timeline, and other terms. It is synonymous with 'retainer' in CBD practice.
Ancestra's engagement letter is designed to be clear and transparent, with no hidden fees or surprises. It includes the fixed fee (quoted in advance), the scope of services, the estimated timeline, and the client's and Ancestra's respective responsibilities.
The engagement letter is governed by attorney ethics rules, which require that the terms be 'reasonable' and disclosed in writing. Ancestra's engagement letters comply with the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the rules of each jurisdiction in which our editorial team is admitted.
Related terms
A retainer is a formal agreement between a client and a lawyer establishing the scope of legal services and the fee arrangement, required before Ancestra begins work on a CBD case.
A fixed fee is a flat-rate pricing model where the total cost of legal services is agreed in advance, in contrast to hourly billing, used by Ancestra for all CBD cases.
A conflict check is the process of verifying that a lawyer can represent a client without a conflict of interest, performed before Ancestra accepts a new CBD case.
Due diligence is the investigation and verification of facts before accepting a CBD case, including verifying the client's ancestry and the availability of documentary evidence.
An eligibility assessment is the written evaluation of whether a person qualifies for CBD, produced by Ancestra after the initial consultation and due diligence.
An intake form is the structured questionnaire that Ancestra uses to collect information from prospective CBD clients, the first step in the case process.