InformedFED's unique value proposition is to provide a cost-controlled, timely, comprehensive, and task-oriented alternative to more expensive legal representation. However, we don't intend to discourage you from hiring an attorney. Instead, we're simply presenting an alternative option for you to consider. Our business concept originated when, while working at a high level of federal agency operations as a Chief of Employee Labor Relations, our Chief ELR Consultant and Analyst encountered a high profile situation where an employee acted on bad union advice from a local union representative and was subsequently fired.  Had the employee received accurate and timely advice, the employee would likely not have been fired. 

 

1. The Cost-Control Model

 

The most immediate noticeable difference is the financial fee structure, which is designed to remove the high barrier of entry typically associated with attorneys.

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• Avoidance of Large Retainers: Federal employment attorneys often require initial retainers ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. InformedFED eliminates this massive upfront financial risk by offering low-minimum hourly retainers (e.g., 4 hours minimum) and flat fees for specific services.

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• Predictable, Unbundled Services: InformedFED offers distinct flat-rate services (like an Initial Case Assessment or EEO Preparation) that allow the employee to unbundle their needs. An employee can hire the consultant for a single task and then move forward on their own, controlling their total spend.  They can also elect to continue services as needed.

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• Accessibility for Non-Litigation Issues: The lower cost structure makes it feasible for employees dealing with issues where the potential financial recovery wouldn't justify the cost of an attorney (e.g., a 14-day suspension, performance-based action, or Federal Disability Retirement application).

 

2. Expertise & Focus Area

 

While attorneys specialize in strategy and litigation, as does InformedFED, InformedFED also incorporates a practical, subject-matter expert and holistic approach.  

 

• Administrative Focus: InformedFED positions itself as a specialist in administrative and transactional aspects of federal employment. This includes drafting responses to Proposed Adverse Actions, filing for Reasonable Accommodation and reconsideration of denials, preparing MSPB appeals, EEO complaint submissions, and navigating the nuances of Disability Retirement (OPM/MSPB) and Suitability Adjudication Issues for example.

   

• "Internal" Knowledge: Consultants at InformedFED have decades of experience in this federal and other public sector workspace with vast experience as former credentialed agency senior-level practitioners, agency officials, and/or union representatives. Our Chief Consultant and Analyst has served in all three roles.  This background provides a deep, "insider's understanding" of agency policies, HR procedures, and managerial mindsets—knowledge that can be invaluable in the early, pre-litigation stages of a dispute and in settlement negotiations.  They used to sit on the "other side of the table."

   

• Strategic Support, Not Just Legal Counsel: InformedFED focuses on "transactional support"—meaning we help you, or prepare for you, the required documents, develop your evidence file, and strategize your response, effectively helping the employee do the work of representation themselves without the cost of a full legal team.

 

3. Accessibility and Availability

 

InformedFED emphasizes a high level of availability and timeliness that goes beyond what nearly any other law firms offer.

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• 24/7 Availability: InformedFED specifically provides high consultant availability, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays, often for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This level of contact is often critical to federal employees who need support outside of normal business hours, especially when facing tight deadlines (like a seven-day window for an oral or written reply to a Proposed Removal).We provide this level of access across all time zones throughout the world, having served employees overseas and domestically.  

   

• Direct Consultant Access: Clients receive direct contact information for their consultant, facilitating rapid communication for time-sensitive issues. 

 

InformedFED's primary competitive edge is its position as the high-value, comparatively lower-cost credentialed administrative expert that provides hands-on document preparation and strategic consulting for federal employees who choose to not retain an attorney, or whose case does not warrant full legal action in a civil court.