The first step in working with Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C. is a paid initial consultation — $400 for one hour. It is a substantive working session in which a federal criminal defense attorney reviews your matter directly with you and explains the realistic options clearly. You are speaking with a lawyer who handles federal trials, appeals, and post-conviction work nationwide — not an intake screener or a sales call.
This page explains what the consultation is, what it covers, and how to schedule one.
What This Page Covers
The Initial Consultation
Our initial consultation is a paid, one-hour session for $400. It is not a free intake call, nor is it a sales pitch. It is a genuine professional review of your situation, and the fee reflects the value of a seasoned federal practitioner’s time and judgment. Our principal attorney, Elizabeth Franklin-Best, is admitted to the United States Supreme Court and twelve of the thirteen federal courts of appeals, and she has handled more than 330 federal proceedings, including over 100 appeals, appearing pro hac vice from Montana to Florida. That depth is reflected in national recognition — a 2026 Best Lawyers in America selection in Appellate Practice and a Chambers USA 2026 ranking in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations.
For many people, the consultation alone is worthwhile: it replaces uncertainty with an accurate understanding of where a federal matter stands and what can realistically be done about it.
What the Consultation Covers
In the consultation, an attorney will work through the matter with you. Depending on your situation, that can include:
- A review of the federal investigation, charge, conviction, or sentence at issue.
- An explanation of where the case currently stands in the federal criminal process.
- An honest assessment of the realistic options — whether that is defense at the trial level, a direct appeal, a post-conviction motion, or compassionate release.
- The deadlines that apply, and why acting in time matters.
- How we would approach the matter, and what representation would involve.
What to Have Ready
You do not need to prepare anything formal for the consultation, but it helps to have key information at hand — the court and district involved, any charging documents or a judgment, key dates, and a clear sense of the questions you most want answered. If you have documents, having them available makes the hour more productive.
Applied Insight: In federal cases, timing is often decisive. Appeal and post-conviction deadlines run quickly, and decisions made during an investigation can shape everything that follows. If you are weighing whether to consult counsel, sooner is better than later.
Who You Will Speak With
The consultation is conducted by an attorney, not a paralegal or an intake operator. In most matters you will meet directly with Elizabeth Franklin-Best, the firm’s principal attorney, who personally evaluates the case and answers your questions. She is admitted to the United States Supreme Court and to twelve of the thirteen federal circuits, has appeared before federal courts nationwide on a pro hac vice basis, and is the author of Reversing Your Criminal Conviction. Her practice spans federal trial defense, direct appeals, and post-conviction litigation — including reported decisions such as United States v. Slager in the Fourth Circuit and King v. Riley on federal habeas review — so the assessment you receive reflects experience across the full life of a federal case.
Christopher Zoukis, the firm’s Managing Director, supports operations and client communications but is not an attorney and does not provide legal advice; the legal review in your consultation comes from counsel. This matters because the questions that decide a federal case — whether to talk to investigators, whether an appeal issue is preserved, whether a sentence can be revisited — call for a lawyer’s judgment, given to you firsthand.
Is the Consultation Confidential?
Yes. What you share in the consultation is protected. When you consult a lawyer in confidence about your matter, you become a prospective client, and the attorney-client privilege attaches to that conversation under federal law — whether or not you ultimately retain the firm and regardless of the fact that the consultation is paid. The lawyer may not reveal or use the confidential information you provide, subject to the narrow exceptions every privilege carries. That protection is what allows you to speak candidly: you can describe the investigation, the charge, or the conviction honestly so that the advice you receive is grounded in the real facts rather than a guarded version of them.
Booking and paying for the consultation does not, by itself, make us your lawyers for the case. A paid consultation creates a prospective-client relationship and triggers these confidentiality protections, but ongoing representation is a separate step that both you and the firm decide on afterward, in writing. That distinction protects you and keeps the consultation an honest, no-pressure assessment.
How to Schedule
You can schedule your paid initial consultation directly through our booking page using the button below. If you have questions before booking, you can also reach us through our Contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the consultation cost?
The initial consultation is $400 for one hour. It is a paid, substantive working session with an attorney and is never offered as a free intake call.
What happens during the consultation?
An attorney reviews your federal matter — the investigation, charge, conviction, or sentence at issue — explains where the case stands, identifies the realistic options and the deadlines that apply, and explains how we would approach it.
Do I need to prepare anything?
Nothing formal is required, but it helps to have key information ready: the court and district involved, any charging documents or judgment, important dates, and the questions you most want answered.
Does paying for a consultation mean the firm represents me?
No. The consultation is a one-hour review of the matter. Any ongoing representation would be a separate engagement, to be discussed and agreed after the consultation.
How do I schedule a consultation?
You can schedule a paid initial consultation through our booking page. The booking link is provided on this page and throughout the site.
Is what I tell you during the consultation confidential?
Yes. When you consult a lawyer in confidence about your matter, you become a prospective client and the attorney-client privilege attaches to that conversation under federal law — whether or not you go on to hire the firm, and even though the consultation is paid. You can speak candidly so the advice fits the real facts.
Can the consultation be done by phone or video?
Yes. We represent clients in federal cases nationwide and routinely consult by phone or video, so you do not need to be in any particular city or state. Whether you are at home or your family member is in custody, you can book the same paid one-hour session through our booking page.
What happens after the consultation?
You leave with a clear read on where the matter stands, the realistic options, and the deadlines that apply. If you and the firm decide to move forward, ongoing representation is set up as a separate written engagement. There is no obligation to retain the firm after the consultation.
Talk With a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are facing a federal investigation or charge — or are considering an appeal or post-conviction motion — schedule your initial consultation: $400 for one hour to review the matter and develop a path forward.