role: assistant

text:
Makes sense, and it’s a normal screening question: lawyers want to know the lights will stay on before they invest time.

Two things first:

1. In Freed’s emails so far, I don’t see him explicitly asking about ability to pay yet.
2. He *did* confirm “Yes” to **Monday Feb 23 at 9:30am Pacific** (you’ll call his `314-244-3653`).

If he asks “can you pay?” on the phone, pick the honest version that matches your situation:

1. **If you can pay a retainer:** “Yes. I can pay your consult fee and retainer. What retainer amount do you typically require for a collaborative matter like this?”
2. **If you can pay the consult but aren’t sure about retainer yet:** “I can pay for today’s call. For the retainer, I need to understand the amount and how you normally structure payments when finances are in transition.”
3. **If you need a payment plan:** “I can pay for today’s call. If we proceed, I may need a payment plan depending on the retainer amount. Is that something your firm can do?”

Tell me which of those is true (1/2/3), and I’ll tighten it into a single sentence you can read verbatim.


role: user

text: naw - it's fine.  i can pay anything he wants so long as it's not crazy.


text:
Use this if he asks:

“I can pay your consult fee and a standard retainer; I just need to understand the amount and what you consider reasonable for a collaborative matter like this. What do you typically require?”


text: ok.


text:
Good.

Next step is just: Monday **Feb 23, 9:30am PT** call to `314-244-3653`, with the checklist handy. If Freed sends an intake form before then, ping me and I’ll help you fill it cleanly.