We’ve got a whole page to answer that question. But, briefly, after subscribing to a particular Access product, you can log in to our website and get answers to common legal questions, as well as assistance with legal issues that fit within your subscription.

For representation that goes beyond what’s included in your subscription, our firm may provide those services at a 25% discount off our standard rates.

Legal Shield is a company that connects its subscribers to independent law firms and provider attorneys. Legal Shield is not a law firm and it does not provide legal services.

Tingen & Williams, PLLC is a Virginia-based law firm. So when you sign up for Access, you actually have a law firm on retainer, not a subscription to a legal directory.

In their book, Lawyers and Other People’s Money, the Virginia State Bar clarifies that lawyers mostly deal with two kinds of money: earned fees and advanced legal fees.

Most of the time, when lawyers and clients talk about retainers, they’re actually talking about “advanced legal fees,” i.e., money that hasn’t yet been earned by the attorney.

However, a True Retainer is considered earned because it is paid to secure the attorney’s availability for representation in the future.

All Access subscriptions are True Retainers because they are paid to secure our services for legal needs that might arise in the future.

That depends on what you retain us for. We currently offer two different Access plans (for Individuals and Small Businesses) as well as two add-on subscriptions which provide additional benefits.

In order to understand what your specific plan covers, you’ll need to read that plan’s specific terms and limitations.

We want each Access subscriber to know what they’re getting, so feel free to reach out with questions before you sign up. If it’s not included in your True Retainer agreement, our firm may also provide those services at a 25% discount off our standard rates.

Yes. Lawyers in Virginia are subject to the Rules of Professional Conduct, which include important rules regarding the management and separation of client funds versus attorney funds.

By structuring the Access subscription as a True Retainer, we can provide monthly and annual retainer agreements that help us provide more affordable legal representation. 

Some do. However, we are the first Virginia law firm we know of to provide True Retainer subscriptions at this scale.

Tingen & Williams has always tried to push the boundaries of making legal services more accessible and affordable through technology, and Access is simply an extension of this commitment.

We know that access to justice is a significant problem, and we know that many good lawyers in many firms and organizations are doing what they can to make legal services more affordable.

Access is our way of making it easier for Virginia residents to receive access to justice.