what do i need to bring to a lawyer during a consult?

How do I prepare for a consultation?

Prepare For Your ConsultationBring all documents. Make copies of all the documents you have collected regarding your case and give these copies to your lawyer.Have notes ready. ... Dress for success. ... Be honest. ... Talk about costs. ... Ask your lawyer questions. ... Understand all documents you sign. ... Keep your own files.More items...

What should I wear to a lawyer consultation?

Day of consultation 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.

How do you prepare to talk to a lawyer?

Tips for Talking to an AttorneyAlways be as honest and candid as possible about the facts of your case. ... Ask questions if you don't understand something that your attorney mentions or explains to you.Approach an attorney about your case as soon as you think you may need one.More items...•

How do I prepare for my first meeting with a lawyer?

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.

What questions should I ask my consultation lawyer?

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...•

Can a good lawyer get you out of anything?

Most certainly, yes! A good lawyer can get you out of anything. Of course, other factors are considered other than your lawyer's performance when we talk about getting you out of anything; however, if we focus on the lawyer's performance alone, I can say that a good one will get you out of anything.

What should you not say to a lawyer?

Five things not to say to a lawyer (if you want them to take you..."The Judge is biased against me" Is it possible that the Judge is "biased" against you? ... "Everyone is out to get me" ... "It's the principle that counts" ... "I don't have the money to pay you" ... Waiting until after the fact.

What do lawyers do in a consultation?

The consultation is about getting a feel for if the lawyer is the right one for you. The lawyer is also trying to figure out if you will make a good client or if you will be in trouble. A lot of clients come to law firms with issues, and the lawyer wants to make sure the clie3nt doesn't cause drama at the law firm.

Does my lawyer have to do what I say?

An attorney must always do what they say they will in a prompt and timely manner as unreasonable delay may adversely affect the outcome of your case.

What is an initial consultation?

An Initial consultation is a 90 minute consultation for a new client who would like to meet with a psychologist to discuss current issues and/or concerns and talk about strategies and goals for therapy and/or a treatment plan.

What is it called when you meet with a lawyer?

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.

How to prepare for divorce?

2. Prepare your Income and Expense Declaration. The Income and Expense Declaration is the other document included in the Declaration of Disclosure. The IED includes the party’s income, expenses, and must include recent pay stubs of the person filling out the form. 3. Prepare a list of questions you want to ask the divorce lawyer.

Why do you need an extra copy of a divorce decree?

Documents and evidence that might be important. Often times dissolution of marriage cases are filed because one or both spouses were not acting properly toward the other party or the children of the marriage.

What is the most important document in a divorce in California?

The Schedule of Assets and Debts is one of the most important documents in any California divorce case. Every party in every divorce case in California has to complete this form before their dissolution of marriage will be granted by the court.

How to contact divorce attorney in Irvine?

If you have an initial consultation with our divorce law office in Irvine, feel free to call us in advance at (949) 955-9155 and we will email the form to you. 8. Information about the other party.

How to share documents with a lawyer?

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.

What is the first meeting between a lawyer and a prospective client?

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.

Why do attorneys keep their information confidential?

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.

What to do if you have no court papers?

Even if you have no court papers yet, you may have on hand or could readily obtain documents that could be helpful.

Can I meet with an attorney alone?

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. To avoid interruptions, be sure to turn off all cell phones or other electronic devices just before your appointment.

What to Bring to Your Initial Consult with Your Attorney

During your initial meeting, you will want to provide your attorney with enough information that they will be able to provide you with an assessment of your case. The specific areas below are areas that you will discuss with your attorney and you should bring with you as much of this information as possible.

About the Author: Corrie Sirkin

Corrie Sirkin is a conscientious, energetic, smart and capable divorce attorney with offices in Manassas and Fairfax. She has practiced family law exclusively throughout her career.

Be Detail Oriented

It’s important for you to understand that the more information lawyers have regarding the details of your case - starting on day one - the more effective they will be in the long run. Bring anything and everything with you that could potentially be relevant to your case, even if you aren’t completely sure that it will be helpful.

Gather As Much Documentation As Possible

The exact documents your personal injury attorney will need will vary based on your lawyer’s preferences and the nature of your case. There are, however, some basic things you can bring with you to make your consultation go smoother.

Know What To Expect

The first time you meet with a lawyer will be more of an exploratory session than anything else. After this first meeting, your lawyer will need time to go through all the details of your case, including injuries, damages, and cost of medical treatment, before assessing a realistic compensatory value to shoot for. Be patient.

What is the goal of a divorce consultation?

When having your divorce consultation, the goal is for you get your questions answered. Likewise, it is also the divorce lawyer’s goal to get a better understanding of your situation so they can best advise on next steps for your divorce. This will also help them to provide timelines and expectations with you.

Do you need a prenuptial agreement to get divorce?

If you have a prenuptial agreement, this something you will certainly want to bring as it will help in preparation of a divorce agreement. In addition to agreements relating to your marriage, if children are involved, you may also consider bringing their birth certificates.

What do lawyers want to see?

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 ...

What to know before meeting with a lawyer?

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.

Why is it important to prepare for a first consultation?

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.

What are the goals of a lawyer?

Typical goals might include: review and provide comments on a contract or legal document. draft a will.

What documents are used to dispute a contract?

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)

How to respond to a legal complaint?

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.

What to include in a dispute narrative?

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.

What do I need to bring to a bankruptcy consultation?

Preparing for a bankruptcy consultation, no matter if you’re within the Southern District of California Department of Justice, or within another place of jurisdiction, mostly boils down to preparing the same important documentation to bring to your initial consultation:

What else can I do to prepare for a bankruptcy consultation?

Now, besides preparing all of the documentation that is extremely important for your case and which allows your bankruptcy attorney to have the perfect insight into your financial troubles, there are two other things you can do in order to prepare for a consultation with your bankruptcy attorney:

What to talk about at a lawyer consultation?

At the consultation, be prepared to talk about your case. The lawyer may not too many details of your case before you sign a fee agreement, but you should be prepared just in case.

What to do if a lawyer doesn't ask for documentation?

Even if a lawyer doesn't ask for documentation beforehand, it's still a good idea to bring a copy of all relevant documents to the meeting. Spend some time thinking about what you may have on hand. Try to organize the documents in a logical manner before you meet with the lawyer.

What does a probate lawyer want to know?

In addition to a general understanding of your legal needs, the lawyer may want to know who else is involved with the case and their relationship to you. For example, in some probate matters, a client visits the lawyer to seek help for his or her parents or siblings.

How to save money on legal fees?

To save money on legal fees, take the time to select a good lawyer, prepare well for your first meeting, and do everything you can to reduce the time that lawyer will have to spend on your case . Even eliminating one email exchange could save you hundreds of dollars.

How to start a relationship with an attorney?

After you decide on which attorney to hire, you’ll sign a fee agreement and officially begin your relationship with your lawyer. The first meeting with an attorney usually involves the exchange of a lot of information. You will spend a good deal of time explaining to the attorney the details of your legal issue and answering his or her questions. He or she will spend a good amount of time discussion and laying out a plan. If you think you might get nervous or forget something, you could practice this conversation with a friend, or you could write down what you want to say.

What happens at your first meeting with an attorney?

The first meeting with an attorney usually involves the exchange of a lot of information.

Do lawyers charge for consultations?

Attorney consultations vary, depending on the attorney’s preferences. Some lawyers charge for a consultation, others don’t. Some will only hold consultations over the phone, but some will let you come in (this is best, so that you can get a better feel for the attorney).