Marin Law Center was founded in 1994, originally named "Lawyers on Duty" and renamed "Marin Law Center" in 1999, by Fred A Rico Hurvich, Esq., with the following principles: Clients can often be given the information they need to do the legal work they have to do without any attorney fees at all by, for example, buying a Nolo Press self-help law book from our lobby (or any bookstore, or by borrowing one from a library). Supplied with the right information, clients can often do their own legal work and be spared legal fees altogether. We encourage people to consult Nolo Press self-help law books and even sell them in our lobby. We also refer people to certain offices and agencies that can sometimes help them at no cost. If legal services are needed, clients should be charged fees which are as low as possible. We often are able to keep costs to hundreds of dollars, rather than thousands, by having legal secretaries and paralegals prepare forms - under the attorney's supervision. When an attorney's time is needed, as it is in the initial consultation, we charge at a rate well below market rate, and we work in a setting that emphasizes efficient results rather than opulent surroundings Originally, part of the concept of the firm was that our attorneys would not go to court to litigate at all. While attorneys could make phone calls and write letters and briefs, clients could represent themselves in court, if necessary, or an outside litigator could be brought in as a last resort. This provided clients with the security of knowing that their attorney was not building a case up into unnecessary litigation. However, it created the need for a new, outside attorney to familiarize themselves with the case should a court appearance be required. Gregory R. Brockbank, Esq., was one of the primary litigators brought in on such occasions, and in 2003, on the pending retirement of Rico Hurvich, Greg was brought in to continue the work of the firm. (see " About Greg Brockbank "). Greg adhered to the original philosophy of providing low-cost and low-stress legal services; he made just one major change - while we avoid going to court as much as possible, when necessary we will, so there is no longer any need to bring an outside attorney up to speed when that is necessary. At Marin Law Center, we continue to emphasize low fees on everything from brief consultations to full representation, emphasizing family law (divorces), landlord/tenant law (evictions and eviction defense), and living trust packages (a living trust and various accompanying documents). We also do general civil litigation and other transactional work, such as contracts, name changes, administrative law, etc. Rather than charge large retainers (and then, as too many attorneys do, litigate a case excessively in order the justify that retainer), when we charge estimated fees in advance, they are modest. Whatever the area of the law, we do the work as quickly and efficiently as possible. Our clients only come to us when they have problems, and we want them to leave feeling that their interaction with their lawyer was one good part of the experience.