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Virtual Law Office

Many clients prefer the convenience of our virtual law office, which allows legal advice to be obtained online from a lawyer licensed to practice in North Carolina. Register for a free account today and ask a legal question.

What is a Virtual Law Office?

The Rice Law virtual law office (VLO) provides a secure environment that's available to clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The VLO includes areas for secure client-attorney communications, completion of online forms, secure sharing of confidential documents, client files, and client account information. Rice Law made news in February 2009 when it launched its online legal services as the largest online family law firm in North Carolina.

What can I do in the VLO?

Use the VLO to:

• Consult with a licensed attorney regarding your legal needs in a secure online website
• Request a free quote to perform legal services
• Ask questions and get legal advice through personal threaded discussions
• Order services, such as a Power of Attorney, Separation Agreement, Answer & Counterclaim, or Equitable Distribution Listing
• Receive legal services, deliverables and documents online without sacrificing personal service
• Manage the direction and scope of legal services you need
• Review their court files and other documents (PDF files)
• Access invoices and pay legal bills
• Calendar in-person full service help as needed

Legal fees

All clients are provided with an individualized quote for services before we undertake your specific case. The legal fees through the Virtual Law Office are often less than that charged for full service legal services. We can make our fees affordable because internet interaction is often quicker and affords us the ability to lower our overhead costs.

Sample fees for services:

• Durable Power of Attorney $150
• Health Care Power of Attorney $100–$150
• Living Will (also known as a Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death) $100–$150
• Last Will & Testament $500 (depending on complexity; if simple, may include POA and Health Care Directives at no additional fee)
• Separation Contract $350–$500
• Separation Agreement & Property Settlement (SAPS) $2,500–$3,000 (depending on complexity)
• Prenuptial Agreement $2,500–$3,000 (depending on complexity)
• Absolute Divorce—Read an article listing reasons why you should not hire an online company not licensed to practice law in NC to prepare your divorce documents for you. $200 plus court costs and service fees (court costs are currently $167 and service fees average $15). This is for a full-service divorce in our service areas. For counties not directly served, we will prepare the Complaint, the Summons, Notice of Hearing and/or Calendar Request, Divorce Judgment and ancillary documents.
• Preparation of Family Law Lawsuit for claims including child custody, child support, post separation support, alimony, equitable distribution (includes a Complaint, Summons, Domestic Civil Action Coversheet, Notices to Defendant re: Child Custody/Child Support and other required ancillary documents). Starts at $800.
• Other issues quoted based on your specific situation

How to start

To use the VLO, you must register for a free account. During the registration process, you will be given the terms and conditions for site use. Keep your registration information (username and password) private and use it to log onto the site to view threaded discussions between you and an attorney. Rice Law gives you the option of being notified via email upon attorney response to your VLO query. After you create your account, you may click on "Ask a Question" and submit information concerning your legal matter. We will conduct a conflicts check and if there is no conflict, our attorneys will answer your question and provide a no obligation quote for legal services.

Your Virtual Law Office

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Limited law services

The Virtual Law Office enables Rice Law to provide unbundled legal services through our VLO to any person with a legal issue in the State of North Carolina. Rice Law helps clients by preparing legal forms, including Complaints, Answer & Counterclaims, Motions and other pleadings to make requests to North Carolina courts. These cost-effective limited-engagement legal services are ideal for families who cannot afford full-service representation but want to ensure that their case is properly presented. If you have decided to represent yourself in a divorce or other family legal matter, register for a free account and log on today to discuss your case in our secure Web environment.

A secure environment

While email can be used for client-attorney conversations, it is neither encrypted nor secure. The Rice Law VLO is powered by Virtual Law Office Technology, which provides a secure communications tool to our clients. Communications through the VLO operate under secure protocols, similar to online banking. Data is encrypted at both the communication and storage levels using proven algorithms offering the highest degree of protection. The software is developed using secure programming techniques, regular auditing and continuous updates to protect you in the ever-changing online environment.

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