Working with us
How to become a client
Updated April 21, 2026
Becoming a client of Barton Creek Ellery takes five steps. Most people go from first contact to a signed engagement letter within one to two weeks. Each step has a purpose: protecting your confidential information, making sure we're free to represent you, and putting the scope and price of our work in writing before we begin.
Step 1: Contact us
Reach us by phone at (512) 555-0142, by email at intake@bartoncreekellery.com, through the form on our website, or through our website assistant. Our intake coordinator will follow up within one business day and schedule a free intake call of about 15 minutes.
On that call, the intake coordinator collects:
- Your name, email address, and phone number
- The type of matter: estate planning, probate, business, or residential real estate
- The names of other people or businesses involved, such as co-owners, family members, or the other party to a contract or sale
- Any deadlines, such as a closing date or the end of an option period
The intake coordinator isn't a lawyer and can't give legal advice. At this stage, please share only the basics, not the details of your situation. If you have a deadline in the next few days, say so right away so we can tell you quickly whether we can help in time.
Step 2: Conflict check
Before an attorney discusses your matter, we confirm that representing you wouldn't conflict with our duties to current or former clients, as the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct require. This is why we ask for the names of everyone involved.
A conflict check takes up to one business day. Please don't send documents or confidential details until it clears. If we find a conflict, we'll let you know that we can't take the matter. We can't explain the details, because they're confidential too, but we'll suggest that you look for other counsel promptly.
Step 3: Consultation
Once the conflict check clears, we schedule a 45-minute consultation with an attorney in the right practice area, at our office or by Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or phone. The consultation costs $150, which is credited toward your fee if you hire us within 60 days.
In the consultation, the attorney learns about your goals, explains how the process generally works, and describes the work we'd do and what it would cost. Our checklist of what to bring to your first meeting helps you prepare.
Step 4: Engagement letter
If you decide to work with us, we send an engagement letter for electronic signature. It sets out:
- Who we represent, and, for couples or co-owners, how joint representation works
- The scope of our work, including what's not included
- The flat fee or hourly rates, any retainer, and the payment schedule
- How we'll communicate and how either side can end the relationship
An attorney-client relationship begins only when you've signed the engagement letter and we've received your first payment or retainer. Until then, we aren't your lawyers and we aren't tracking deadlines for you.
Step 5: Onboarding
After engagement, you'll receive an invitation to our secure client portal. There you'll complete a questionnaire for your matter and upload documents. Your responsible attorney and paralegal will introduce themselves, and our turnaround times begin once your questionnaire is complete. See How long things take.
If we can't help
Sometimes a matter is outside our practice, such as a lawsuit or a family law issue, or we can't meet a deadline. We'll tell you promptly, there's no charge for the intake call, and we'll suggest where to start looking, such as a certified lawyer referral service.
Starting with our website assistant
Our website assistant can begin step 1 for you by collecting your name, email address, matter type, and urgency and passing them to our intake coordinator. It can't run a conflict check, accept documents, or give legal advice.
This is general information, not legal advice.