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In depth
A retainer (also called an engagement letter or legal services agreement) is a formal contract between a client and a lawyer establishing the scope of legal services, the fee arrangement, and the terms of the representation. It is required before Ancestra begins work on a CBD case.
Ancestra's retainer includes: (1) the scope of services (e.g., genealogy research, document retrieval, dossier compilation, consular filing, representation through oath), (2) the fixed fee (quoted in advance, no hourly billing), (3) the timeline estimate, (4) the client's responsibilities (providing documents, attending appointments), and (5) the termination provisions.
The retainer is signed by the client and Ancestra's counsel before any work begins. The client pays the fee in installments (typically 50% at signing, 50% at filing).
Related terms
An engagement letter is a written agreement specifying the terms of legal services, synonymous with retainer in CBD practice.
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.