When facing legal matters, it is always best to have an attorney represent you. The standard model for handling legal disputes was to hire a lawyer to take care of everything related to the case, from drafting the initial demand letter, filing legal documents with the court, and appearing in court. This "full service" representation is time-consuming for the attorney and therefore expensive for the client.

If you can't afford or do not want full representation, limited scope representation or "unbundled legal services" may be an affordable alternative to traditional representation. This model allows you to work with an attorney who can provide legal advice, help you draft legal documents and other paperwork, and explain the process to you as you act as your own attorney. You and the attorney come to an agreement on which tasks will be handled by you and which tasks will be handled by the attorney. 

This concept is fairly new in Texas, so there are not many resources yet. This guide will be updated with additional consumer information as it becomes available.

At this time, the Library is not aware of any comprehensive list of attorneys who offer limited scope/unbundled legal services in Texas. You may need to contact your local bar association or call around to different legal firms in your area to find an attorney who offers this type of arrangement.

Articles in bar journals, section newsletters, and blogs can keep you up to date and provide practical applications. Here you will find a sampling of the articles on this topic. Copies of articles not available on the internet can be requested from the library's document delivery service.

These resources also provide information and training on unbundled legal services for attorneys: