10 Essential Documents to Bring to an Attorney Consultation
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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.
Here are some suggestions for what to bring to your meeting with your attorney. 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. A list of questions.
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.
Finding the Right Attorney Before you can have an attorney consultation, you need to find a lawyer who might be a good fit. Look for an attorney who focuses his or her practice on your type of legal question, or someone who lists this as a type of law they regularly practice. Your local bar association may have a referral program.
But meeting with a small business attorney before starting a business can be one of the smartest moves you'll ever make. A business lawyer can explain how to start a business and answer your business law questions. But more importantly, a lawyer can identify the risks you face and help you minimize them.
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.
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.
Drafting Legal Documents: How to Keep It SimplePlan Out the Document Before You Begin. ... Write with Clear and Concise Language. ... Ensure the Correct Use of Grammar. ... Be as Accurate as Possible. ... Make Information Accessible. ... Ensure All Necessary Information Is Included. ... Always Use an Active Voice. ... Pay Attention to Imperatives.More items...
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...•
An initial consultation is the first time that you are able to speak one-on-one with an attorney. Both you and the attorney have a chance here to learn about each other. The lawyer will learn about the details of your case while you learn about the lawyer and the firm.
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 a Lawyer ConsultationFinding the Right Attorney. Before you can have an attorney consultation, you need to find a lawyer who might be a good fit. ... Background Knowledge. ... The Legal Plan. ... Working with Your Attorney. ... Money Matters.
Your lawyer will likely ask a lot of questions at the first meeting. Here's how to be ready for them, and how to prepare relevant questions of your own....Be prepared to provide your:home address.work address.employer's name and address.home phone number.work phone number.mobile phone number.fax number, and.email address.
What Do Legal Documents Include?Identification of the parties.Rights of parties.Duties of parties.Cost of offer.Payment terms.Choice of law clause.Disclaimers.Dispute resolution clause.More items...
They can help to protect you - for example you may need a legal document to put in writing something you have agreed with someone else. It can be very important to set down the full details of what has been agreed in writing so, if things go wrong, you can prove what was agreed between you and the other person.
Although mastering legal drafting takes time and practice, superior writing skills are essential to success, and you can take steps to improve yours.Remember Your Audience. Robert Daly/Caiaimage/Getty Images. ... Organize Your Writing. ... Ditch The Legalese. ... Be Concise. ... Use Action Words. ... Avoid Passive Voice. ... Edit Ruthlessly.
While you are not filing a claim against your insurance company, you may need benefits from them. Therefore, your attorney may need to review your current automobile insurance policy and see what coverage you are entitled to.
Show proof that you have paid your car insurance premiums, and that you have an active policy in place. This can be established with bank statements, canceled checks, or statements received from the insurer.
Your attorney will want all contact details you gathered at the accident scene, including the name of the other driver, their contact information, and their insurance company information.
If police were dispatched to the scene, there should be an accident report filed by law enforcement. All crash reports are sent to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles; therefore, you can request a copy of that report from them.
Hopefully, you were not given a traffic citation. However, if the other party was given a citation, it should indicate that in your crash report so that your attorney can use that information to establish liability.
Whether you or another individual took pictures at the scene of the crash, your attorney will want to review them.
Most likely you will receive a statement from the other party’s insurer about the claim. You are not required to provide them with your statement, but any correspondence from that insurer should be brought to your attorney.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
Another reason to be completely honest during a legal consultation is that legal consultations will always be confidential. This means that what you discuss with an attorney will not be discussed outside the meeting room.
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.
Once again, although an initial consultation does not form an attorney-client relationship, as that is not formed until there is a signed representation agreement, everything that you communicate with an attorney during a consultation will remain privileged and confidential, as if an attorney-client privilege had formed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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 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.
Typical goals might include: review and provide comments on a contract or legal document. draft a will.
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.
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.
A business lawyer can explain how to start a business and answer your business law questions. But more importantly, a lawyer can identify the risks you face and help you minimize them. When you meet with your lawyer for the first time, it’s a good idea to have some questions in mind.
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. New entrepreneurs have their hands full, making plans, developing products and services, and lining up financing.
Always ask your business attorney to assess your risks and identify ways to alleviate them. Getting business advice and legal help from a small business lawyer is a smart way to start a business off on the right foot. But don’t lose touch with your lawyer once your business is up and running. Make it a habit to seek business legal advice regularly ...
Before starting a small business, you must decide how your business will be structured. If you do not form a formal business entity, your business will either be a sole proprietorship (with one owner) or a general partnership (with more than one owner). Legally, you and your business will be the same “person,” so if your business has debts ...
Federal laws range from anti-discrimination laws to health and safety regulations to wage and hour laws. You may need policies and procedures, handbooks, and training to ensure that you don’t inadvertently violate them. You must also comply with state laws relating to such things as the minimum wage.
Contracts protect your business by describing the rights and responsibilities of the parties to the agreement. A well-written contract can reduce the number of disputes that arise, ensure that you get paid for the work you do, and provide a clear remedy if one party doesn’t hold up its end of the deal.
Every state has rules about the names that new business entities can use, and in general, you can’t choose a name that another business is already using. Also, it’s risky to choose a name that might infringe on another business’s registered trademark.
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.)
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.
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 ...
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.
Much like getting a second medical opinion before a surgery, it is common to seek advice from two or more lawyers before committing. The attorney-client relationship is important, and you need to feel comfortable with your choice.
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.
Lawyers spend countless hours studying the law. While you don’t have to go that far, you should have a solid idea of where your case falls and how it’s classified.
Explaining your story to a lawyer can get tedious. And if that’s all you have, you’re not making a great argument for your case.
Typically, lawyers collect payments through two means: an hourly rate or contingency.
Lawyers work together all the time. As such, they know one another’s strengths and weaknesses.