FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PERSONAL INJURY: Yes! We give 100% free case evaluations/consultations on the phone and/or in person for all personal injury cases.

ALL OTHER CASES: For all other cases under our services tab we offer a free call back from my paralegal to determine if the case is one in which I will take and she will go over estimated fees.  If my paralegal deems it necessary, she will schedule you for a free10 minute phone call for case evaluation by the attorney, Cindy Benavides, or a paid consultation if it is clear we can move forward. 

Disclaimer: Phone consultations and initial consultations are only to determine whether the attorney and the client wish to move forward in entering an attorney-client relationship.  The phone call does not automatically create a contract or ongoing relationship between the client and the attorney.  If the attorney and the client wish to move forward with representation, then the attorney will require a contract or retainer to begin work. 

You schedule your free call back by actually calling our office at 956-854-4363.  As long as your request for help falls into the category of services we provide, our receptionist will take down your name and number and give it to my paralegal, Monica Garcia.  We ask that you please be patient, as call backs are at anytime between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the 24 hours following your call.  If for some reason you don’t get a call back within 48 hours, then please feel free to contact the office again to inform them of this rare occurrence.  A couple of things could have happened, such as the attorney got too busy, the attorney called you, but your voicemail is not set-up, or the receptionist had a human error and got a number wrong or failed to deliver the message.  Life happens and we don’t mind a friendly reminder to call you again. 

Yes, there are 100% free in person consultations for all personal injury cases.  However, if your case is any other service we provide and you prefer to meet in-person without first getting a free call-back, a nonrefundable consultation fee of $100 is required to be paid at the time of the scheduled meeting.  The $100 fee is for up to a 30-minute consultation.  A full hour consultation is $275.  You may call 956-854-4363 to schedule your consultation.  A booked consultation does not mean that the attorney is obligated to take your case.  The consultation is only for the attorney to review and evaluate your case for retention on her case docket.  Further contracts and retainers may be required if the case is retained by the attorney.  

Unfortunately, no.  We do not receive text messages at this time as our office phones are landlines.  However, we do receive messages left on our webpage and we are accessible by phone during standard working hours.

We are located at 107 W. 6th Street, Weslaco, Texas.  Benavides Law Firm has 2 offices (1 in Weslaco and 1 in Laredo).  You are on the Weslaco website page.  The Laredo office is located at 6557 Metro Ct., Laredo, Texas 78041.  

Our business hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  On special occasions, the office might be closed from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., so it's always best to call in advance of stopping by.

We have a mail slot in our back door.  You can drop documents through the mail slot even if we are closed.  Please make sure you put your name and phone number on the documents you are dropping so we can identify the file to which it belongs.  

Our Weslaco office can help you with real estate, business law, estate planning, probate and personal injury.  We offer some limited family law help in the form of names changes and cps adoptions. We also assist with guardianship of the person requests.   Here’s a full list of our services. 

Yes, we can represent you on a personal injury case anywhere in the state of Texas.  We have two physical office locations: Weslaco and Laredo; however, we are technologically advanced enough to do business anywhere in our great State.  

While this list of fees is not exhaustive and each case is different, we hope you find it useful to get an idea of what to expect.  Disclaimer: The list of fees is not binding on Benavides Law Firm and we reserve the right to amend, alter and requote fees based on the services provided and your individual contract with the attorney.

Yes, our office is also the mid-Valley Edwards Abstract location.  We can offer you insured closings through Edwards Abstract for all types of transactions.  

Typical transactions we can assist with are: residential, commercial, farm and ranch, unimproved land, and condominium. We really can handle just about any type of real estate transaction, call for your free call back to find out.  We also offer assistance on cash closings, owner finance loans, conventional third party loans, VA loans, FHA loans, refinances and more. Here is a full list of our real estate services.

Yes! Book your free call back now. 

Technically you do not; however, only realtors can list your property on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), where it can be seen by other realtors and the public at large.  Realtors are trained to know their markets and advise you on your property’s value and much more.  Once an offer is presented to you from the buyer via a contract, your licensed realtor can help you understand the contract and negotiate.  Furthermore, there are many statistics which show that people who use realtors to sell a property get a higher sales price.  In essence, the realtor is worth the percentage you pay to get your property seen by more prospective buyers.  Benavides Law Firm works with many amazing realtors and can recommend a list of movers and shakers in Hidalgo and Cameron County.      

Technically you do not; however, if the seller has the property listed with a realtor, then they are already willing to pay the realtor fee.  That fee is split between their realtor and any one that you choose to represent you.  This means that as a buyer, there is really no harm to getting a realtor to represent you because you aren’t paying.  Plus, as the buyer, you are responsible for tendering a formal contract offer to the seller's realtor.  If you hire an attorney, they will draft your contract and explain the terms and process.  There are rare circumstances where it may be more beneficial not to hire a realtor.  One example is if a seller does not have the property listed with a realtor and you don’t have a realtor and you both agree on a price.  In an instance such as that, where you have already agreed, then you can just book a free call back with me so that I can help you draw up the contract and closing documents. 

Our sincere condolences on your loss.  If a loved one died with assets (real estate, bank accounts, life insurance, retirement, personal property) or a Will, you likely need a general consultation with the attorney to analyze the next steps.  That could mean a Texas Muniment of Title, a full Probate to obtain Letters Testamentary, a Determination of Heirship or maybe just a matter of consulting with the attorney on how to access pay on death accounts.  Book a free call back today to find out or take a look at our Probate Guide to get more guidance. 

Yes, we can certainly can help with that.  Cindy does her best to ensure she is recommending the best plan for you, not just a cookie-cutter estate plan.  If possible, one of her goals is to help you avoid probate.  She will take care to consider your wants and desires while also staying abreast of other considerations like family complexities, special needs kids, Medicaid Planning and developments in estate tax legislation.  She's got your best interests in mind so Book a free call back today!

Our sincere condolences on your loss. Yes, we can help with probates and post-death legal issues.  It’s best to schedule a general consultation with the attorney to analyze the next steps, sometimes a probate is not required. Book a consult today or take a look at our Probate Guide to get more guidance.  

Yes; however, we only do Guardianships of the Person at this time.  If you aren't sure what we mean, just Book your free call back today.

Yes, we love to help small businesses.  Take a look at my Small Business Webinar and Book your free call back today. 

Yes, I can help.  However, when gifting property,  it’s important to hire an attorney who practices Elder Law, like me!  Why?  Because improper gifting can affect Medicaid/government benefits for the grantor and/or grantee.  Plus, it will change tax exemptions and much more.  Book your free call back today.