Preparing to Meet With a Lawyer
A productive first conversation will give both you and the lawyer on the other line a better idea of whether or not you can work together. While most of us think lawyers "take" our cases, the relationship is a two-way street. Your lawyer is your legal representation, which means you have a say in the matter too.
Treat your first meeting as a business consultation. While you are trying to develop a friendly rapport with your lawyer, you also want him or her to see you as a serious client with serious needs. Be prompt. Lawyers value their time, since they generally bill by the hour.
For example, if you're being mistreated at work and want to know what your rights are, or you've been a victim of fraud or theft, speaking to a lawyer is a good idea even if nothing comes of it. Similarly, consult with a lawyer if you have a brilliant idea and want to make sure it's not stolen, or want to start your own business.
If possible, if that person had a good experience with the lawyer in question, ask them to make a call to introduce you and tell the lawyer you will be calling, and then call the lawyer yourself.
“[I]f you want to ask me questions I'll do my best to answer them, but if it gets too close I have to shut down. I have to get an attorney.” “I would prefer a lawyer but I want to talk to you now.” “Can I have a public defender?”
Tips For Meeting With Your Lawyer For the First TimeDress To Impress. ... Be Ready To Give Your Attorney Important Information About Yourself. ... Gather Your Evidence And Have It Ready For Your First Meeting. ... Get Your Facts Straight. ... Plan Something You Can Look Forward To For After Your Meeting.
Questions to Ask Your Lawyer During a Consultation1) What kind of experience do you have with similar cases?2) What would be your strategy for my case?3) Are there any alternatives to going to court?4) What are my possible outcomes?5) Who will actually handle my case?6) What is my role in my case?More items...•
8:4911:16How to Speak like a Veteran Lawyer in 11 minutes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo when you speak and it's very hard to explain empathy and non verbals. But you're going to useMoreSo when you speak and it's very hard to explain empathy and non verbals. But you're going to use very soft friendly. Body language tonality and eye contact.
The standard attire for meeting with you lawyer should be business casual. Wear dress pants, a nice shirt or top. Women should wear a conservative dress or skirt. Nothing too revealing.
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.
12 Tough Questions to Ask a LawyerWhat's your opinion of the probate process?Under what conditions do you recommend a Living Trust?How do I protect my children from abusive relatives if something happens to me?Can I keep my kids from controlling their entire inheritance at 18?More items...•
Attorney vs Lawyer: Comparing Definitions Lawyers are people who have gone to law school and often may have taken and passed the bar exam. Attorney has French origins, and stems from a word meaning to act on the behalf of others. The term attorney is an abbreviated form of the formal title 'attorney at law'.
Sometimes you really do just need some basic advice, so structure your ask respectfully.Limit the scope of your request. Be clear why you're reaching out and what your goal is. ... Do your homework. ... Say thank you.
0:135:25How to ask questions like a lawyer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe first secret is that what we're doing we're not really asking questions what we're doing isMoreThe first secret is that what we're doing we're not really asking questions what we're doing is making statements. That sound like questions and those are statements that the witness.
Laws Of Conversation: How To Argue Like A LawyerIdentify The Issue And Don't Deviate From It. Recognise the main point of discussion and stick with it. ... Leave Emotion At The Door! Emotion will never win an argument. ... Be Wary Of Shifting Dialogues.
Speak clearly and loudly enough that the judge can hear you. Speak only when it is your turn. When you speak to the judge, act respectfully and call him or her “your honor.” NEVER interrupt the judge. Summarize your point of view.
A good lawyer works with you, helps you understand the situation, and guides you to the best possible result. To do that, they need a client they can work with. Here's how to be just that. Advertisement.
It's not that your experiences don't matter , but some things that you may think are critical ("The cop didn't read me my rights before he cuffed me!") just aren't important to a court (in some situations, they're not required to). Mention those types of things once, and then continue to the next point.
Your lawyer is still a human being, and they need to experience the events you're describing or your situation as close to how they happened as possible. Jumping forward and back in time or going off on tangents is confusing, and may lead to an important detail being overlooked.
You’re what every attorney fears when defending a deposition: A client that cannot shut up. The more you talk in a deposition, the further down you may dig your own hole. There’s some stupid idea that the Deposition is when you tell your own side of the story. That’s a very bad idea but that’s for another post.
If you call a Personal Injury firm because you were fired unfairly from your job, you’ll probably get hung up on. Some firms will refer you out to another smaller law firm if they don’t think your case is worth it in terms of money. Ask around for recommendations and don’t be afraid to talk to smaller firms yourself.
One of the rules about consultations is that unless you are the parent, guardian, or in some cases, the spouse of a potential client, we can’t talk to you without the EXPLICIT permission of the client due to attorney-client privilege and confidentiality.
The legal world is a very emotionless place, and it hinders us when you’re emotional. If you’re not in a good place when you want to call us, have a friend or a loved one talk as an intermediary. So long as we get your permission, it’s fine.
DO: Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to the attorney and their staff. With VERY RARE exception, any information you disclose to an attorney when seeking legal advice is considered protected by attorney-client privilege. This means we can’t disclose it to ANYONE.
Unfortunately, one of the things paralegals are not allowed to do is set prices or legal fees. That’s up to the lawyer. We can’t even tell you if our boss is open to negotiating prices. I get you might be anxious about price and it sucks but it’s the law.
Before you get too far into a meeting or conversation, the lawyer will want to know about any possible conflicts of interest that might prevent him or her from ethically representing you.
In addition to learning about you and hearing your narrative, your lawyer will also want to see documents and evidence, both for informational purposes and to help assess the strength of your case. Obviously, the nature of the evidence will vary dramatically from one type of case to another. As you prepare to meet with your lawyer, try ...
Typical goals might include: review and provide comments on a contract or legal document. draft a will.
Some important details to include in that narrative include: names of the key players in your dispute. date the dispute or problem began. type of the dispute (harassment, contract, divorce) key events of your dispute, including a "who, what, where, when and why" narrative, and. current status of your dispute.
contracts (such as employment agreements , leases, promissory notes, and the like) financial documents (for example, if you'll be drafting a will or starting a company) correspondence (letters, emails, or text messages between you and the other party or otherwise relevant to your dispute)
respond to a legal complaint, lawsuit, or threatening letter. research whether you have a meritorious legal claim against another person or entity. draft a legal complaint or demand letter to another person or entity, or. negotiate a lease, contract, or other agreement.
In short, preparation for your first consultation meeting is critical. Strong preparation will save time and money. It will also ensure that all of your questions are answered, and that your attorney has all the information needed in order to effectively represent you.
In the course of your conversation with your attorney, you will surely want to write down notes on any issues or questions that arise. A list of questions. Clients often have a million questions and concerns before a meeting, one or more of which they then forget to ask when sitting face to face with their attorney.
What Should I Bring? 1 A pen and pad of paper or the electronic equivalent! In the course of your conversation with your attorney, you will surely want to write down notes on any issues or questions that arise. 2 A list of questions. Clients often have a million questions and concerns before a meeting, one or more of which they then forget to ask when sitting face to face with their attorney. Write these questions down ahead of time, to make sure you get every query answered while you're sitting there. 3 A check for the initial consultation fee, if your attorney charges one. This should be discussed ahead of the meeting. Nothing gets a lawyer-client relationship off on the wrong foot faster than forgetting to make your first payment. Presenting that fee immediately shows that you're taking the relationship seriously. 4 Any documents relevant to your case. If, for example, you are negotiating a lease and want the lawyer to review it, you should obviously bring a copy of the draft lease. If possible, make multiple copies of each document you give to your lawyer, so that you can take a set back home. (Or you can ask the lawyer's office to make the copies, but you'll likely be charged at premium rates for those.)
An initial meeting with your attorney is important, not just for exchanging information about your case, but also for building rapport and trust. Commonly, you will first have a short phone call with the lawyer, who will then ask to meet you in person. If you aren't yet certain you plan to use this lawyer, ...
Be honest. Remember that, even if you do not end up hiring the lawyer, everything you tell him or her during your meeting is generally subject to the attorney-client privilege. (The biggest exception to this, not surprisingly, is if you tell your lawyer that you are going to commit a crime, which information the lawyer may be duty-bound ...
By the end of your meeting, you should leave with a clear understanding of what you've accomplished and what's ahead. Remember, you are under no obligation to hire a particular attorney merely because you had an initial meeting.
In most cases, honesty is in your best interest. Lawyers seldom see cases that are cut and dried, with one party completely the "good guy.". It 's much better for the lawyer to know any bad news up front than to be surprised later with revelations you failed to share.
An important question to ask a lawyer is what the strategy for your case will be and the outcome the lawyer expects. You’ll want to get details on what kind of procedures to expect. Ask how long it will take for the entire case to be resolved. Discuss the legal strategies that will be used. Find out if your attorney will attempt to settle and if mediation or arbitration are options. Think about the answers and if you are comfortable with them. Maybe you want to avoid a trial at all costs but your attorney really wants to just go to trial, or perhaps you have no intention of settling and want your day in court. It is important that your lawyer’s strategy lines up with your needs.
Meeting with a lawyer for an initial consultation is generally not a chance to ask legal questions that are in depth, but is instead an opportunity to get a sense as to whether this lawyer is the right one to handle your case. Use this meeting to help you decide which lawyer will be the best one for your case.
Meeting with a small business attorney is an important way to get your business off to a good start and minimize future risks. Here are questions to ask at your first meeting.
Most lawyers offer a free consultation so that you have a chance to determine if he or she is the right person for you. Going to the first meeting with some simple questions can help you ensure you find the right person for the legal help you need. You will not get much legal advice at this consult since it is not meant to resolve your legal ...
It is generally not very helpful to ask where the attorney went to law school since you can find this information online and it often tells you nothing useful anyhow. Focus instead on experience with your type of case. You can also ask the average verdict the lawyer has obtained in your type of case.
The best thing you can do when asking your lawyer-client interview questions during your initial consultation is just listen. This is the time when the client should be doing most of the talking. Follow client communication best practices and try to avoid cutting them off or filling in pauses.
Review the client’s file. The initial client interview should be for asking questions, not for learning basic client details. Before the interview, ask for any relevant information and documents so you can review them in advance.
The client interview is part of your overall client intake process, so it’s important to track it for efficiency and ensure that no potential clients get missed. If you’re using online client intake software, you can easily track and see a potential client’s status in stages (for example, “needs a follow up”).
Conduct a thoughtful pre-screen and conflict check 1 Pre-screen: Before you book the interview, have a set pre-screening process. Ask for basic information (for example, via an intake questionnaire) to help you decide if the client may (or may not) be a fit for your firm. You can make this process simpler for the client by using an online intake forms tool, like Clio Grow. 2 Conflict check: You’ll also want to do a conflict check before proceeding to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or other reasons that will prevent you from working with someone. Here again, an online intake tool can make this easier for you and the client. Clio Grow, for example, can be part of a robust conflict check process.
Once you’ve reviewed the client’s file, prepare your questions for the client, and take some time to anticipate questions that the client may have for you. We’ll discuss more on what answers (for clients) lawyers should prep for before the interview below.
You may deal with the law every day, but pursuing a legal issue can be stressful, draining, and even scary for potential clients. With this in mind, do your best to be emotionally sensitive and make them feel as at ease as possible.
Especially if you’ve taken the time to thoroughly prepare for the interview, there’s nothing worse than a no-show. While some no-shows are unavoidable, often a simple confirmation email and a reminder can ensure your potential client makes the meeting.