Frequently Asked Questions

In general, no. If you have been referred to our office as a subsidy-based case in connection with a juvenile court case or through legal aid's judicare program, your initial meeting will be billed to the agency as part of the process and you will not be required to make an up-front payment.

For all other inquiries, we do require a consultation fee. That’s because we believe your case deserves more than a quick introduction or a surface-level conversation. Most consultations with our office last 60-90 minutes.

When you schedule a consultation with Welch Law Office, LLC, you receive a thorough, personalized case review, not a brief meet-and-greet. We take the time to understand your situation, answer your questions, review any documents you bring, and go over your possible next steps.

Your time is valuable — and so is your case. Charging for consultations ensures that you receive the focused attention, detailed advice, and experienced guidance you deserve from the very first meeting.

When you schedule a consultation with our office, we will send you intake forms with the confirmation of your appointment. It is helpful for us if you complete and return these forms prior to the consultation, especially if you are coming to discuss a divorce or custody case. In general, the less your attorney has to review during the consult, the more time you can spend together talking about the case and answering any questions you may have.

We also suggest that you make a list of questions. This could be about the process, how long it will take, what will be expected of you, or anything that you should make sure you aren't doing while the case is pending. We find that this helps clients get the most out of their consultation and not feel like they forgot to talk about something that was important to them in the moment. Of course, if that happens, you will be provided with your attorney's email for brief follow up questions.

Yes. While Welch Law Office is based in Columbia, Missouri, we regularly represent families throughout mid-Missouri, including Moberly adoption and guardianship cases in Randolph County and Fayette adoptions and guardianships in Howard County. We offer family law services (divorce and custody) on a more limited basis in the 14th Circuit, but we are happy to discuss your needs.

Many matters can be handled with a combination of electronic filing, virtual meetings, and limited court appearances as needed to keep costs down for families living outside of Boone County. If you are unsure whether your county is covered, feel free to contact us to discuss your situation or review the complete list of areas we serve for additional information.

Yes! Our office is a virtual office. While we have conference room space available to us through our affiliated business center, we are fully equipped to provide virtual services and are happy to accommodate that request.

While Welch Law Office, LLC is overall a virtual office, we schedule appointments at our affiliated business center, the Buttonwood Business Center. Due to this, we are open by appointment only.

If you have scheduled an appointment with our office, you should look for the Buttonwood Business Center located at 3610 Buttonwood Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, MO 65201. The building is located off Grindstone Parkway behind Pizza Hut and across from Tiger Bounce. The building can be identified by the Bank of Missouri logo, which is located on the bottom floor. Once parked in the large, free parking lot, head to the second floor using the stairs or elevator and check in with the receptionist to your right.

Welch Law Office is based in Columbia, Missouri, and primarily serves families throughout mid-Missouri. We regularly represent clients in Boone, Callaway, Randolph, and Howard Counties, and we also take select cases in Cooper and Audrain Counties, depending on the type of matter and court involved. For adoptions and guardianships, specifically, we may also be able to assist you outside of those listed counties.

Many cases can be handled efficiently through electronic filing, virtual meetings, virtual court appearances and in person court appearances as needed. If you are located outside of these areas but are seeking representation in an adoption or guardianship matter, we encourage you to contact our office to discuss whether your case is a good fit.

We do not accept divorce and child custody cases outside of these counties due to the average number of required court appearances.