An Hour That Produces an Answer
Most legal consultations are an introduction. This one is the work. You bring the complaint, the custody order, the draft Marital Settlement Agreement, the support figures from one of the free tools, or the question no one has answered, and the hour is spent on it. By the end the figure is calculated, the document is reviewed, the filing is understood, and there is a plan for the next step. Questions are answered and often reframed, because most people have never been through this and do not yet know what they should be asking.
The advice is specific to Allegheny County and drawn from more than two decades of practice in front of its Family Division. Attorney Levine takes the session himself.
Five Situations the Hour Is Built For
You have been served. A divorce complaint, a custody petition, a support filing, or a temporary PFA has arrived, and the deadline is running. The session reads the filing with you, explains what it asks for and what the court will do next, and sets out how to respond and when.
You have a draft agreement in hand. An MSA, a custody stipulation, or a support proposal is waiting for your signature. The session reviews it term by term against what an Allegheny County court would likely order, so you know what you are giving up and what to ask for before you sign. See MSA Review Before Signing.
You have a number and do not trust it. The child support calculator, the APL estimator, or the equitable distribution worksheet gave you a figure. The session runs it with your real income and the deviation factors a calculator cannot weigh, and tells you whether it holds.
You already have a lawyer. A second opinion before a settlement conference, a hearing, or a signature is a common use of the hour. You keep your counsel. The session gives you an independent read on the strategy and the terms.
You are deciding whether to begin. Separation, filing, or waiting. The session shows what each would mean for the marital estate, support, and custody, with real figures, before anything is set in motion.
"He proved to be an excellent strategic thinker. He was able to settle my case very quickly."
Requested Through the Form, Confirmed With a Time
Send the request through the contact page. Attorney Levine replies with a time, usually within a business day and often the same day or the next, schedule permitting, since he is often in court. You confirm, pay through LawPay once the time is set, and the session is held by phone or video. Send the documents the question turns on with the request so they are on hand; everything is reviewed with you during the hour.
A conflict check is run before the session. If it prevents the session, nothing is owed. Sessions are not booked on a calendar, and there is no intake call in between.
$400 for the Hour, $250 for the Half Hour
The full hour covers document review, a served filing, a complete support or property calculation, or a second opinion on a settlement. The half hour covers a single figure or a single question with the documents already in hand. Both are paid in advance through LawPay once the time is set. The fee is for the session; it does not retain the firm, and whether we go further is decided afterward, by both of us.
A free ten-minute call is available for a single question. When the question needs the documents open and the figures run, the session is the right door.
"Scott did not make unrealistic promises or tell me what he thought I wanted to hear. He gave me direct, honest advice based on his experience and stayed focused on the issues that actually mattered."
The Analysis, Done
The figure, calculated with your income and your facts. The document, reviewed with the weak terms marked and the fair ones confirmed. The filing, explained, with the response and the deadline set out. And a plan: what to do this week, what to expect from the court or the other side, and what it would cost to have the firm do it. Where the right answer is to handle it yourself, or to stay with the lawyer you have, the session says so.
"He listened to my concerns and he also didn’t offer services that were out of the range of the concern at hand. He was very insightful, friendly, and straightforward."