What happens after you get in touch.

The attorney. Arceri Law is a one-person practice with no associates, paralegals, or intake service. The person who reads your submission is the person who would appear in court on the matter, which is the main reason the form asks for detail up front rather than routing you through a screener.

Usually twenty to forty minutes by phone. It covers what happened, what has been filed or served, what deadlines exist, what outcome you are after, and whether the matter is one this firm should take. Longer, in-person meetings are scheduled after that call when the matter warrants it.

The initial call to determine fit carries no charge. Substantive legal analysis, document review, and strategy work begin only after a written engagement letter is signed and any retainer discussed on that call is in place.

No. No attorney-client relationship exists until a written engagement letter is signed by both you and the firm. Until then, treat the conversation as a mutual evaluation. Deadlines in your matter keep running throughout, and the firm has no duty to protect them before an engagement begins.

Communications during a genuine consultation about representation are treated as confidential under Florida's rules, and the firm handles them that way whether or not it takes the case. That protection is not a reason to send another lawyer's privileged work product or material you are under a court order not to disclose.

Anything filed or served: the complaint, petition, summons, answer, motions, notices of hearing, and any court order. If the matter has not been filed yet, bring the contract, lease, deed, invoices, or written agreement at the centre of it, along with the correspondence where the dispute surfaced.

A one-page chronology of what happened and when; the full names of every person and company involved; the amount of money in dispute; photographs or inspection reports where condition is contested; and any prior lawyer's name if someone else handled this before.

Attach them to the intake form. After you submit, the confirmation screen offers an upload step that accepts up to six files of 15 MB each — PDF, Word, plain text, or images. Files go into a private storage vault that only the attorney can open through a short-lived signed link; they are never published or exposed on the public site.

No. Send the operative documents, not the whole banker's box. Do not send material covered by someone else's privilege, sealed records, or anything a court has ordered you to keep confidential. If you are unsure whether something belongs in the file, describe it on the call before uploading it.

Submit anyway and describe the matter in plain language. Many disputes start with nothing more than a verbal agreement and a chain of text messages. The form's writing assistant can help you turn scattered notes into a clear chronology before you send it.

Nearly all submissions are answered within one business day. Weekend and holiday submissions are typically answered the next business morning. You can confirm the file is moving at any time on the Track page using your confirmation number.

Usually the same day. It is a check against current and former clients and adverse parties, and it is the reason the form asks for the opposing party's name. A conflict means the firm must decline regardless of the merits, and you will be told promptly so you can approach someone else.

Within a few business days for straightforward matters. Where a large document set needs review, or where an existing court schedule has to be assessed before the firm can commit, it may take a week. If the matter has a deadline inside seven days, call 239-207-0016 rather than waiting on the form.

In the 20th Judicial Circuit, a contested civil case commonly runs twelve to twenty-four months from filing to trial, and longer where discovery is heavy or the docket is congested. Pre-suit resolution can end matters in weeks; a case that goes to appeal adds a year or more. No honest estimate is possible before the facts are known.

Emergency and injunctive relief, which can be heard within days, and dispositive motions, which are typically set within sixty to ninety days of filing. Discovery is the slowest stage by a wide margin and the one where most of a case's calendar time is spent.

By phone at the number you provide. The office line, 239-207-0016, does not receive text messages, so a text will not reach anyone. Email at arcerilaw@comcast.net is used for scheduling and documents rather than substantive discussion of a matter.

It is the reference for your intake file, issued the moment the form is submitted — something like AR-7KQD-3M2P. Together with the email address you submitted with, it lets you see the current status and every note added to the file on the Track page. Neither piece works on its own.

Received means logged and queued. In review means the attorney is reading it. Conflicts check means it is being checked against current and former clients. Awaiting your response means something is needed from you. Accepted, Declined, and Closed are final dispositions, and each carries a note explaining the reason.

You are told directly, usually with the reason — a conflict, a practice area outside this firm's work, a calendar that cannot accommodate the schedule, or an assessment that litigation is not your best route. A declination is not a comment on the merits of your claim, and you should consult another attorney promptly because deadlines keep running.

Hourly for most civil litigation, with the rate and any retainer set out in the engagement letter before work begins. Costs such as filing fees, service of process, court reporters, and expert witnesses are billed separately from fees. Nothing is charged before an engagement letter is signed.

Yes. Before an engagement begins you can ask for the intake record and any uploaded documents to be deleted, and the request is honoured. Once the firm is engaged, file-retention obligations under the Florida Bar's rules apply instead.