Services & Pricing

Services

We offer affordable legal services in three program areas, spanning dozens of complex legal practice areas.

Companion Animals

Companion animals are family. They are also indispensable.

We are animal lovers, too, so we know how important it is to make sure your pet is safe and sound. We also know that conflict involving pets can be complex, both emotionally and factually. If you have an animal law issue you would like to speak about, contact us today to set up a consultation.

CRIMINAL

Our criminal defense work includes: Dangerous dog defense, including dog bite defense | Impoundment recovery for animals taken by animal control | Breed-specific violation defense (bully breeds prohibited within certain cities) [photo is a stock photo and not of Meeko]

CIVIL

Our civil representation includes: Animal custody, including recovering stolen animals and uncoupling disputes (partition & replevin) | Housing Disputes | Veterinary Malpractice | Service animal discrimination and emotional support animal discrimination | Estate planning, including wills and trusts to provide care for your pet after you pass

Environment & Public Interest

You have the power to protect the Earth.

Many environmental laws give the public the right to enforce them. “Citizen suits” are brought by ordinary citizens who are concerned about the well-being of their environment, from public lands to endangered species. We are always willing to consult with concerned citizens about potential environmental violations claims.

Solving complex environmental legal problems requires attorneys with knowledge and experience. Our attorneys have nearly a decade of combined experience litigating in the federal trial courts and the federal appellate courts, as well as in state court. Are you an individual or nonprofit organization fighting to protect wild species and wild places?

We focus on four main programs:

ENDANGERED SPECIES

Now more than ever, wildlife habitat is under pressure from human interests and activities. With species going extinct at an alarming rate, it is up to the public to fight for the protection species deserve. We have litigated to protect species both in America and abroad, including the Scarlet Macaw and Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse.

PUBLIC LANDS

More than half of the land in the American West is public land. Every American citizen has a right to enjoy this land. Despite that this public land belongs to everyone, a few select industries seek to exploit it. These lands must be kept preserved and healthy as habitat and for future generations of Americans to enjoy.

CLEAN AIR & CLEAN WATER

These are two of the most basic necessities of life. Without access to clean air and clean water, nearly all life is threatened. Yet the quality of air and water is often taken for granted. Pollution remains a serious threat to human health and the environment. We know suing over these issues can be incredibly complex and are ready to fight for your rights to Clean Air and Clean Water.

GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY

Transparency is the key to accountability. The Freedom of Information Act and related state open-government statutes are tools that hold the government accountable for its actions. Let us handle your records requests and make sure that you receive all the documents you are owed, even if we have to litigate for them to be produced.

Nonprofit Representation

We believe in nonprofits supporting nonprofits.

We offer discounted legal services to animal-focused and environmentally-focused nonprofits.

NONPROFIT CREATION & COMPLIANCE

Navigating the waters of starting a business is difficult to do on your own. Let us guide you through the process. We offer counseling on these business issues and more:

Business formation: Articles of Incorporation & Bylaws | Nonprofit IRS applications for 501(c) entities | Counseling on lobbying and advocacy restrictions on certain nonprofit entities
Compliance counseling: Maintaining nonprofit status | Unrelated business income tax | Excess benefit transactions | Ethical boards | Private inurement |Employee protection laws | Business licensing, zoning compliance, and state/federal regulatory compliance (e.g. PACFA in Colorado)

NONPROFIT POLICY SUPPORT

For established nonprofits, we also provide assistance in drafting new and updating current company documents and policies such as:

Operating contracts: Volunteer agreements | Internship agreements | Employment contracts | Adoption agreements | Foster agreements | Surrender agreements | Liability waivers
Internal policies: Conflict of interest policy | Document retention and destruction policy

LITIGATION REPRESENTATION

Is your organization preparing to sue or being sued? We offer litigation representation for nonprofit organizations at a discounted rate. We handle a variety of actions, from replevin to defamation. Contact us today to set up a consultation!

Pricing

Environmental and Animal Defense was founded on the principle of helping individuals who do not qualify for free legal aid, but do not make enough to pay for the full bundle of services at a traditional law firm.

In order to provide affordable legal representation and services, we offer a sliding scale pricing model. Our sliding scale fee discounts reduce our hourly rate based on an individual’s income, household size, and the Federal Poverty Level to as low as $0.

Our undiscounted hourly rate is $245 per hour for simple legal issues. Complex legal issues are billed at competitive market rates but still receive sliding scale pricing discounts.

Most clients can expect an hourly rate somewhere between $85-$160 per hour.

Flat Rate

The traditional retainer system can be prohibitively expensive and leave the client feeling uncertain about just how much representation will cost them. Flat rate fees are a simple way to budget for legal services. With this model, one price is paid for legal services. While not available for all cases and issues, flat rate fee arrangements are available for select services.

Unbundled

Another option is to purchase “unbundled”, or a la carte, legal services. With this model, certain aspects of representation are purchased individually. Similar to the flat rate model, certain services are more appropriate as unbundled than others.

Other Rates

We offer a variety of other fee structures based on the type of legal representation, including, but not limited to, conventional contingency rates in certain circumstances or statutory fee recovery when available.

Pro Bono

We are able to offer pro bono legal services for select cases and impoverished clients.

Interested in saving money on your legal issues? Contact us today to find out if you qualify for discounted rates, flat rate fees, or unbundled services.

Public Interest and 501(c)(3) Rates

Special rates or discounts based on the specific circumstances of the representation are available for the following types of clients:

Where significant environmental benefits can result from the representation;
Where protections for animals can be created or strengthened from the representation; or
The client is a nonprofit organization.