The initial consultation will only take ten to thirty minutes of your time, and we try to get back to potential clients within twenty-four to forty-eight hours with whether our firm can represent …
May 17, 2016 · How long is the meeting? An initial legal consultation is simply a short meeting between a lawyer and a potential client. This short meeting should be 20 minutes or less.
Nov 16, 2020 · More detailed fact gathering will occur after the initial consultation if you decide to hire the attorney. Once the attorney has an understanding of your case, he or she will typically …
Jun 27, 2019 · The cost of a lawyer consultation can be prohibitive. It can set you back between $100 to $400, depending on where you are. We’re not even counting specialized lawyers that …
At the initial consultation the attorney will generally ask you to give him or her a brief description of what you need help with. At this point, the attorney is not looking for the whole story, but a brief summary. He or she will then ask you a series of targeted questions in order to determine:
The purpose of a free consultation is not to obtain specific legal advice in the consultation, but rather to allow you to determine whether you would like to hire the attorney and to allow the attorney to determine whether he or she can help you achieve your legal goals.
Once the attorney has an understanding of your case, he or she will typically let you know what your legal options are, your prospects of success in achieving your goals, and how much he or she expects this to cost.
The key to understanding the difference, is that generally attorneys will not give legal advice without being first hired by the client. Attorneys don’t give legal advice without first being retained ...
Many attorneys offer both free consultations and paid consultations, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. The key to understanding the difference, is that generally attorneys will not give legal advice without being first hired by the client.
Many people have the wrong idea that free consults mean they’re either shallow or limited to an hour or two. The free attorney consultation neither has a time limit nor stops at a basic understanding. The nature of the first consults is always exploratory in nature.
If you have never hired a lawyer, you might wonder about free attorney consultation. There are many law practices that provide such an incentive to their clients. The cost of a lawyer consultation can be prohibitive. It can set you back between $100 to $400, depending on where you are.
You want to first ask the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Free lawyer advice from an expert in the field means they know the strengths of your case. You need to learn which points to highlight and which ones to not focus on.
Your free lawyer advice affords you the flexibility to learn your proper legal course of action. It is in place to give you proper clarity to make an informed decision. Both parties will expect honesty from each other.
The first consultation is always an educational, introductory session with the client. It’s there for the lawyer to understand in-depth what’s the issue at hand. If they get the facts straight, they can help you better with proper advice.
Case length can dictate how much you pay for the case. It can also dictate your resolution timetable, especially for cases with short statutes. This will help in the total decision-making you would have to do.
Having a general sense of fees and expenses is a good guide. The fees will multiply according to the attorney’s rate per hour. There are also other expenses like deposition fees, court filing fees, and fees for expert witnesses.
But, if your case costs less than the retainer amount, your unused money will be returned to you.
Just trust us on this one: you will not be able to concentrate on the wealth of information our attorneys offer during an initial consultation if you are thinking of your next question!
Meeting with an attorney in an initial consultation at Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates, LLC, does not mean you are required to hire us to represent you. Indeed, hiring an attorney may not be appropriate for your situation—not everyone with thousands of dollars in debt needs a bankruptcy, and people frequently come in for an initial consultation with questions about divorce who have no intention of filling for one!
We recommend that you confer with your trusted loved ones before going in to the initial consultation so that you are able to get answers to their questions without destroying the confidential nature of your meeting . If you insist on having other people come into the meeting with you, we may have you sign a document stating that you understand you are voluntarily waiving your rights to confidentiality and the attorney-client privilege to memorialize your decision before we meet with everyone present.
It can be difficult to remember what you discussed with an attorney days or even weeks later when the situation arises again. We encourage all potential clients to take a few notes on important discussion topics during their consultation so they have something to jog their memory later. Additionally, there may be follow-up information or documents we need you to obtain before we can take the next step, and it is always helpful to have those type of instructions written down.
The attorneys at Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates, LLC, can take time to prepare for your appointment if you complete any provided client information sheets and return them to the office well in advance of your appointment. Your time with one of the attorneys will be most productive if you fill the questionnaire out fully so we know what questions to ask you.
Called the initial consultation with lawyer, this meeting is an opportunity for you and the attorney to evaluate one another.
This first meeting is also an opportunity for you to evaluate the attorney. This is important, because you will be sharing thoughts and feelings that you may not share with anyone else. For that reason, you should feel comfortable speaking with the attorney and you should feel that you can trust the attorney to act in your best interests.
This is also an opportunity to learn more about the options open to you in pursuing your case, such as mediation, out of court settlements, or other options. It will be up to you to decide how to move forward, once the attorney has expressed an interest in handling your case.
However, if the attorney does see merit in your case, you will discuss the situation further. While an attorney can’t guarantee you a specific monetary award, he can use his expertise and past experiences to give you an idea of what to expect in your case.
I agree with the responses that have already been posted but also wanted to address your question as to whether they would call you back even if they were not interested. I probably speak for most attorneys when I say that we do call back regarding inquiries for cases that we do not or cannot take.
I agree with the other attorneys. Call back or find another attorney who is available sooner. Many attorney offices have a policy as to how quickly calls should be returned, but even then it can give way to the reality of a busy practice. I doubt you will have trouble finding an attorney to speak with you with a little time and effort.
If a lawyer truly wanted to handle your case that lawyer would call you back. Given the fact that the attorneys you have called have failed to return your call, you should call other attorneys until you find an attorney that either will speak to you immediately or will call you back within a reasonable time. You are the boss. More
As my colleague stated call as much as you like, as you are the one who has a legal problem. If the answer is not to your liking, hire a criminal defense attorney who is. Dr. Michael G. Sribnick, Esq. criminal defense and personal injury attorney in Charleston and Columbia, S.C. Michael G. Sribnick, M.D., J.D., LLC...
Often they are busy in court and such. Call as often as you want. Few people get mad that you want to give them money. But if the service is not to your liking, call others. There is no shortage of lawyers available to you. So long as you can pay.
So far, I would not be too alarmed, given that it was last Thursday. However, a polite phone call or email to the firm, in which you preface your follow-up with your understanding that they are busy with starting up the office, would not be inappropriate at all.
All attorneys meet with prospective clients in what is called an initial consultation. This is a first meeting between you and the lawyer to help you both decide whether you want to work together in an attorney-client relationship. At this point, you are both checking each other out, and getting information and advice that can help you with your case regardless of whether you hire that lawyer or any other one.
To avoid interruptions, be sure to turn off all cell phones or other electronic devices just before your appointment. Following these tips will help ensure that you have a productive first meeting with the attorney and start a good working relationship should you decide to hire him or her.
Make a set of copies of everything that you plan to share with the lawyer. Give the lawyer the copies at the beginning of the initial consultation. Prudent attorneys do not accept original documents, and you do not want to waste precious time or money waiting while the attorney makes copies. So fax the documents to the law office before the meeting.
Remember, the attorney will keep this information confidential, unless required to share it with a court because it is relevant to the legal matter or with law enforcement for a public-safety reason. You may think the information is too trivial or embarrassing to mention, but it may well be extremely important, so share it.
Even if you have no court papers yet, you may have on hand or could readily obtain documents that could be helpful.
If you feel more comfortable bringing a friend or relative to the initial consultation for support, you may do so. But realize that any attorney-prospective client confidentiality you otherwise would enjoy at the meeting is lost if a third party, including your friend or relative, is present. He or she could even be subpoenaed to testify against you about what was said or heard. It is usually in your best interest to meet with the attorney alone, even if the other person is paying for the appointment. Your friend (s) or loved one (s) can wait in the lobby.
Before consulting with an attorney you should make sure that you properly prepare for the consultation by gathering any and all documents that are relevant to your case. It is important to bring every document you have for the attorney to review, as they will be able to properly determine which documents are relevant, and which are not.
In short, a legal consultation is an initial meeting with an attorney that takes place before you make the decision on whether to hire that attorney to represent you in your particular legal matter. Further, the attorney will also use the consultation in order to determine if they can legally and competently represent you based on ...
Before consulting with an attorney you should make sure that you properly prepare for the consultation by gathering any and all documents that are relevant to your case. It is important to bring every document you have for the attorney to review, as they will be able to properly determine which documents are relevant, and which are not. Documents that you should bring with you may include any of the following: 1 Contracts: If your claim arose from a contract dispute, then you should bring copies of the contract and any documents explaining the contract; 2 Police or Accident Reports: If possible, you should bring any police or accident report that was created as a result of the incident you were involved in; 3 Property Deeds: If your claim involves a property dispute, you should be sure to bring a copy of the deed or any documents relating to the property, such as an oil and gas lease, etc.; 4 Employment Records: If you claim is an employment dispute, then you should bring all of your employment records, such as your employment contract, employment agreements, or timesheets; or 5 Other Documents Evidencing Damages: Other important documents to bring include any evidence of damages, such as medical records or expenses, or any warranties or letters created by the party you are trying to sue.
Legal advice is advice given to a person that seeks the advice from an attorney, the advice given pertains to matters within the attorney’s competence, and the attorney expressly or impliedly agrees to give advice or their assistance in the matter. If such legal advice is given an implied attorney-client relationship may be formed between you ...
An attorney database, such as LegalMatch’s database, is helpful in assisting you in locating the right attorney for your particular legal issue. However, it is important to remember that a legal consultation alone will often not provide a full solution to your legal problem, as it is only the first step in resolving your legal issues.
For instance, in a divorce case, you may want to ask the attorney what their legal strategy is for obtaining child custody or alimony. Further, you may want to know if you are able to evict your spouse from the marital home, or create a separate bank account. An initial consultation is a great time to figure out whether the attorney you are discussing your case with would be helpful or the right fit for your particular case.
For example, a typical family law divorce consultation will include a discussion regarding the reason for divorce, a discussion of marital and separate property, and a discussion of child custody, if relevant. Further, the consultation will discuss the attorneys hourly fee. Further, you should ask before the consultation, whether the consultation itself is free, which they often are.