Limited Assistance Representation
A lawyer for the parts that matter most
Limited assistance representation lets you hire an attorney for specific tasks — drafting the key motions, analyzing the law, building the strategy — while you handle the rest yourself. Use the planner below to see exactly what a plan would look like for your case and budget.
What the planner does
Answer a few plain-English questions about your case, your budget, and what you can handle yourself. The planner builds a specific LAR plan — what the attorney drafts and analyzes, what you manage, and what a realistic cost estimate looks like. No obligation to schedule anything first.
LAR Planner
Answer a few questions to build your limited assistance plan
Question 1 of 9
Your Case
What kind of case do you have?
Understanding your case type and where things stand shapes what limited assistance can accomplish.
What LAR Is
How limited assistance actually works
Most people picture hiring a lawyer as all-or-nothing — either you have full representation or you are on your own. Limited assistance is a third option: targeted legal help for the parts of the case that genuinely require it.
A lawyer handles specific tasks — not the whole case
Under limited assistance representation (LAR), you hire the attorney for defined tasks: drafting a motion, analyzing child support, reviewing a proposed agreement, or preparing you for a hearing. When the task is done, the engagement is complete.
You remain in control of your case
You file your own documents, communicate with the other party directly, and appear in court yourself. The attorney provides the legal work that's hard to do without expertise — the drafting, the analysis, the strategy.
You pay only for what actually happens
LAR is billed by the hour for specific work. There is no large retainer covering months of activity. You fund the tasks in your plan, and the meter stops when the task is complete.
Where LAR Works Best
Tasks well-suited to limited assistance
Drafting motions and legal documents
Motions, parenting plans, separation agreement sections, affidavits, and proposed orders. These are the core of most LAR engagements — hard to write correctly without legal training, and the quality of the document often determines the outcome.
Legal analysis and strategy memos
Written analysis of your legal position, what the law requires, what a judge is likely to focus on, and what your strongest arguments are. You read it, understand it, and use it — even after the engagement ends.
Child support calculations
Running the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines correctly, explaining how the parenting schedule affects the number, and drafting the analysis so you can negotiate from an accurate baseline.
Cross-examination outlines and hearing preparation
If you are appearing yourself, attorney-drafted cross-examination outlines and a hearing preparation session can make a substantial difference. You control the hearing; the attorney prepares you for it.
Document review and written feedback
Reviewing what the other side filed, what a proposed agreement says, or what a court order actually means — and giving you written notes on the issues, risks, and how to respond.
Where To Slow Down
When LAR may not be the right fit
Cases with imminent safety concerns
If there are domestic violence, restraining order, or emergency custody issues, those typically require immediate full representation. LAR works best when there is time to plan and prepare.
Highly adversarial matters with opposing counsel
When the other side has an attorney and the case is fully contested, the pace and complexity of the work may exceed what LAR can practically scope. It does not rule out LAR, but it changes the plan.
Court appearances on complex issues
Going to court requires the attorney to be ready for every variable in the room. Under LAR, that preparation cost is real. The better default is for the attorney to prepare the work and for you to appear yourself.
Next Step
See what a plan would actually look like
The LAR planner above takes about five minutes and gives you a specific, realistic breakdown of what attorney-handled tasks fit your case and budget. It is the fastest way to figure out whether limited assistance is the right model for your situation — and what it would cost.