Law Offices of Gedney M. Howe IV: Law Firm Care, Thoughtfully Deliveredin Charleston

Yes on both counts. Your first meeting with a partner costs nothing and is protected by attorney–client privilege whether or not you retain the firm. You leave with an honest assessment of your case, not a sales pitch.

It depends on the matter, but you will always know before we begin. Injury cases are handled on contingency — no fee unless we recover. Estate plans and closings are flat-fee. Litigation and family matters are hourly with rates disclosed up front and monthly caps agreed in writing.

Yes. The partner you meet at your consultation leads your case personally — signs the pleadings, appears at hearings, and returns your calls. Associates and paralegals support the work; they never replace the partner on it.

At the consultation we map a realistic timeline for your specific matter. As a rule of thumb: estate plans finish in two to four weeks, uncontested family matters in a few months, and litigated cases in six months to two years. We will not promise speed we cannot deliver.

Whatever you have — contracts, police reports, medical records, court papers, correspondence. Bring nothing at all if the matter is urgent. A one-page summary of dates and names helps, but the partner will draw out what matters.

Yes. The firm represents clients across the region in the relevant county and surrounding counties. Evening and video consultations are available if a visit is out of your way.

We tell you exactly that, at the free consultation, with the reasons in plain language. Candor costs us some engagements and has earned us decades of referrals. If another path serves you better — mediation, a demand letter, doing nothing — you will hear it from us first.

Often, yes. A will alone still passes through probate, becomes a public record, and does nothing if you are incapacitated rather than deceased. A complete plan — will, trust, durable power of attorney, and health-care directive — covers all three situations. At your consultation we will tell you plainly which pieces you need and which you do not.

Plans are flat-fee, quoted in writing at the first meeting before any drafting begins. The fee depends on the structures involved — a straightforward will-and-powers plan costs less than a multi-trust plan with business interests — but whatever we quote is the final figure, including revisions and the signing.

Yes. The partner you meet at the consultation drafts your documents, appears at any hearing, and signs the letters. Two partners review every plan before signing. Paralegals support the work; they never replace the partner on it.

Most plans are signed four to six weeks after the first meeting — deliberately. You receive readable drafts, we meet to walk through them, and we revise until the plan says exactly what you mean. Probate administration typically runs nine to fourteen months; contested matters vary and we give you an honest range at the outset.

Whatever you have easily to hand — prior wills or trusts, a rough list of what you own, and the names of the people who matter. Bring nothing at all if gathering papers is what has been stopping you; the partner will draw out what is needed.

Yes, and much of our work is exactly that. We review the existing documents, tell you candidly what still serves and what has aged out of the law, and quote a flat fee for the revision. If the old plan is sound, we will say so and send you home.

We do. Partners regularly sit with clients in their homes across the region, and by video when that is easier. Evening appointments are held on set weekdays, and signings can be arranged at a hospital or care residence when needed.