F.A.Q. – Frequently Asked Questions
The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.
Q: What is your mailing address? :
A. Our mailing address is: Lee Law Firm, LLC; 37 New Orleans Road, Suite V; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; 29928. If you send a package via FedEx or UPS, please do not have any attempted delivery made prior to 10:00 a.m.
Q: What is your telephone number? :
A. The firm’s local telephone number is 1-843-474-0614 (You Must Dial the “1” First) and our toll-free number is 1-800-996-0683.
Q. What is your fax number? :
A. The firm’s fax number is 1-888-474-0614. This is a toll-free number, so please note the area code.
Q. What forms of payment does the firm accept?:
A. For client convenience, we accept payment via cash, bank checks (ex: cashier checks, official bank checks), money orders, Discover, American Express, Visa, and Mastercard. Credit card and debit card transactions, as well as eChecks, are processed via LawPay.
Q: What areas of law does your firm handle? :
A. The firm’s practice areas are limited almost exclusively to DUI Defense and Criminal Law, Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents, as well as Family Law (Divorce, Equitable Property Division, Custody and Visitation, Alimony, and related issues). Dustin Lee also routinely serves as a Guardian ad Litem in contested Family Court custody cases, and Dustin is a certified South Carolina Family Court Mediator. Please see the respective practice area links or read more below to gain a better idea of what these areas encompass.
Q: How do I setup an initial consultation with your firm? :
A. The best way is to please contact the firm via telephone at 1-843-474-0614 (You Must Dial the “1” First) and ask to setup/schedule an initial consultation. All consultations are by appointment only. If you call on the weekend or after hours such that no one is available to take your call immediately, please leave a message including your name and telephone number. Please be prepared to give your full name, and the name or names of any person “adverse” to you (i.e. – especially in a family law matter, the person who would be on the other side of the case). This information is used to perform a “conflicts check” in accordance with applicable rules and law.
Q: May I obtain legal advice from a paralegal or receptionist? :
A. No. Paralegals and receptionists are not attorneys. Only licensed attorneys are permitted to give legal advice. If you ask a paralegal or receptionist for legal advice, the employee will likely inform you of this policy. This is in place to comply with applicable rules and law, and is ultimately for client protection.
Q: May I just walk-in to your office like an emergency room or urgent care office and expect to be seen? :
A. As a general policy, the firm does not take “walk-in” clients – we are by appointment only. This is for numerous reasons. Your problem is important to you, and we need to be able to give your matter the attention it deserves. Family law and divorce matters, personal injury and accident matters, as well as criminal law, are often Court intensive, meaning that often an attorney will be in Court on an unrelated matter, so there may literally be no one in the office who can give you legal advice. Furthermore, attorneys must focus their attention on one (1) client matter at a time, such that if a client is meeting with an attorney, that attorney will not stop working with that client due to a walk-in. Consultations also may take well over one (1) hour, such that time simply does not often permit a consultation with a walk-in, especially in light of the time-deadlines and Court schedules that are already in place. While we certainly appreciate the urgency of some legal matters, it is best to contact the firm via telephone at 1-843-474-0614 so that a conflicts check can be performed and a consultation may be scheduled that allows you the time you deserve to explain the problem you are facing. Do not be discouraged though – same day and after-hours appointments are often available.
Q: I heard of a “guy” that got a certain result in a case. I want that same result. Can you get it for me? :
A. This firm cannot guarantee or promise any particular result in any legal matters. All cases are extremely fact specific, and the law may treat even the “seemingly slightest detail” far differently. The law itself often changes due to new statutes and cases from Courts, including new interpretations of existing laws. While the firm can work hard towards achieving your desired result, there are no guaranteed results and firm attorneys and personnel cannot promise any particular result or outcome.
Q: Why does Lee Law Firm limit its practice areas? :
A. Law is a broad field with seemingly countless areas of practice. Instead of trying to handle all matters for all people and entities, the firm made a decision to limit its practice areas. Though there are some differences in comparison, some doctors limit their practice areas to certain body parts or areas of medicine, such as feet, eyes, heart, etc. The firm has taken a similar approach.
Q: Is Dustin Lee or anyone else at the firm a “specialist” in family law and divorce, personal injury and accident, and/or criminal law? :
A. In a word, “No.” At the time of this writing, South Carolina does not allow an attorney to become a “specialist” in family law, personal injury and accident law, nor criminal law. As with many things in the legal world, words often have a specific meaning. One may become a specialist in areas such as “Estate Planning and Probate Law,” at the time of this writing; however, Family Law, Personal Injury, and Criminal Law have not been made into specialties in South Carolina. To maintain good standing with the South Carolina Bar and to be able to practice in South Carolina, attorneys must complete a certain amount of “Continuing Legal Education” (CLEs) on an annual basis. The CLEs we attend are almost always related to South Carolina DUI law, family law, injury law, criminal law, and legal ethics. For example, Dustin Lee, Esquire, has attended CLEs on divorce, custody, evidence issues, dog bite matters, insurance law, the updated DUI laws, ethics updates, and those addressing purely criminal law. This is all in an effort to stay at the front of what is happening in our limited areas of practice in an effort to better serve our clients.
Q. May I bring a friend, family member, or the opposing party with me to my consult with you? I would feel a lot more comfortable and “they already know everything that is going on.” :
A. Generally the answer is “No”. Consults are confidential meetings between an attorney at the firm and the potential or current actual client. There may be a limited exception for a translator or similar individual if language is an issue (at the time of this writing we have staff fluent in English and Russian); however, the firm strives to protect the Attorney-Client privilege in all meetings with clients and potential clients. The Attorney-Client privilege is an issue that will be discussed in detail in an Initial Consult.
Q. Have any firm attorneys ever argued any cases in front of any Courts or Judges? :
A. This question likely needs to be addressed to each individual licensed attorney at the firm, but it is an extremely important question when seeking an attorney in Family Law, Personal Injury, or Criminal law, which are all Court intensive. Dustin Lee has argued as lead counsel (the person with primary responsibility for the case actually standing up and asking questions, making arguments, etc.) in front of Municipal Courts, Magistrate Courts, Family Courts, the Master-in-Equity, and Circuit Court Judges in General Sessions Court, and has taken cases to “decision” or “verdict” in both jury and non-jury trials (there are no juries in Family Court in South Carolina). Dustin Lee has worked on legal briefs that have gone to appeal in Circuit Court (from Magistrate Court rulings), the South Carolina Court of Appeals, and the South Carolina Supreme Court, though he was not “lead counsel” on all of these matters. Many appellate courts in South Carolina do not actually “hear” oral arguments in all cases, instead deciding based purely on the record and legal briefs of the parties.
Q. Has the firm ever handled any Driving Under the Influence Cases? :
A. Yes, this firm has been counsel of record for individuals accused of violating the DUI and/or DWI laws of the State of South Carolina. While we have had numerous successful outcomes, the firm cannot guarantee or promise any particular result.
Q. What “type” of client does the firm normally represent? :
A. The firm does not necessarily have a “type” of client that it represents. The firm has had the pleasure and opportunity to represent individuals from “all walks of life,” including indigent clients in appointed DSS and criminal law matters, up to and including extremely successful business people whose companies generate significant income. Furthermore, the firm has assisted clients in the criminal arena facing charges as “small” as traffic offenses up to and including those charged with matters that could yield life in prison sentences.
Q. Where are you able to practice law? :
A. Please see the specific attorney information as to which Courts a particular attorney may practice in. For example, Dustin Lee, Esquire, is licensed to practice in all South Carolina state courts, but he could not walk into a North Carolina state or Georgia state courtroom and argue your case as lead counsel, as he has not been admitted to the respective bars of these two (2) states.
Q. I have been contacted by law enforcement and asked to come in for questioning, turn myself in, or take similar action in an investigation. What should I do? :
A. Without knowing the exact details of your case, it is not proper to give legal advice. Please contact the firm at 1-843-474-0614 (You Must Dial the “1” First) to setup an initial consultation to discuss the situation in confidence.
Q. Have you ever represented a client at a bond hearing? :
A. Dustin Lee, Esquire, has assisted clients in turning themselves in to state authorities and has also represented numerous clients at bond hearings. Dustin Lee, Esquire, is extremely familiar with the state law and constitutional protections governing bond hearings, and the procedures of the presiding bond hearing Judges.
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Attorney Advertising. This web site is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. The hiring of an attorney is an important decision. The information you obtain in this website is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. This website is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. You should contact an attorney for individual advice regarding your situation.