what to take to a consultation with a lawyer

How do I prepare for a consultation with a lawyer?

Nov 16, 2020 · 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 nature of your legal issue;

What should I bring to my initial consultation?

Nov 30, 2021 · A lawyer will know how to prove your losses, and may even bring in expert witnesses to help prove your case’s value. Gather Evidence of Another Party’s Negligence. Gathering strong evidence is a crucial step in proving that someone is responsible for paying you. This is another reason to work with a lawyer.

Will I be charged for my initial consultation with an attorney?

Jul 22, 2019 · Documents that you should bring with you may include any of the following: Contracts: If your claim arose from a contract dispute, then you should bring copies of the contract and any documents... Police or Accident Reports: If possible, you should bring any police or accident report that was ...

What is a free consultation with a lawyer?

What happens at the actual attorney-client initial consultation. At Melissa Graham-Hurd & Associates, LLC, the attorney (s) meeting with you will take time to understand your situation, develop your legal claim (s), and determine with you what our strategy would be to resolve your case. We will take time to answer your questions, separate legal ...

How do I prepare for a lawyer 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 do I bring to a consultation?

What Should you bring to your initial consultation?A pen and pad of paper or something to write down notes on any issues or questions that arise.Take the time before you meet with your attorney to write down a list of questions. ... An understanding of your financial situation. ... Bring any documents relevant to your case.Jan 7, 2021

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 does it mean to consult with a lawyer?

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.Jul 22, 2019

What is an initial consultation?

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.Aug 30, 2020

How do you present a lawyer case?

Consider how much you are willing to do to organize your evidence, provide your witness contacts, write down a chronology (time line) of events, and generally sell yourself to your attorney, as well as the case, by appearing organized. Tell your story in the shortest possible way.Jun 15, 2013

What does a consultation include?

A consultation is a “type of service provided by a physician whose opinion or advice regarding evaluation and/or management of a specific problem is requested by another physician or appropriate sources.”

How do I ask for a consultation?

Clearly state what you are requesting from the consultant; your first remarks should reflect whether you are asking a question or for a consultation. State your working diagnosis and specify whether you are asking for advice, ongoing management, or the disposition of the patient (i.e., admission or follow- up care.)

What are some cons of being a lawyer?

Disadvantages of Being an AttorneyLawyers often work long hours.You will often no longer have a life apart from work.Clients can be quite demanding.Working climate may be rather bad.You may get sued.Law school can cost a fortune.Digitalization is a threat to lawyers.More items...

How To Prepare For The Initial Consultation With Your Attorney

If you are dealing with a legal matter and have taken the initial step to schedule a consultation with an attorney, you’re off to a great start. Hiring an attorney as early on in your case is essential to getting the best representation you can.

About the Author: Kyle St. Romain

Kyle St. Romain is the founding attorney of St. Romain Law, and assists clients throughout California and Texas with a variety of legal matters. He is an avid tech enthusiast, and constantly looks for new ways to use technology to make his practice more efficient.

What is the Purpose of a Legal Consultation?

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.

What Happens During an Initial Consultation with an Attorney?

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:

How to Choose Between Attorneys

The attorney-client relationship is extremely important. It is therefore important to find an attorney that you have a rapport with and in whom you trust. I recommend weighing the following factors when selecting your attorney:

1. Prepare your Schedule of Assets and Debts

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.

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

On our Massachusetts divorce blog, we prepared a list of 15 questions to ask a divorce lawyer . Having a bullet-point list of questions ready to ask is imperative to managing your time with the attorney and getting the information you need.

4. Tax Returns

Bring at least the most recent tax return filed by you and your spouse, if you file a joint return. If you file separate returns, try and bring your spouse’s latest tax return as well. If you can bring the last two years’ tax returns that would be greatly beneficial.

5. Self-employment documents

If you or your spouse are self-employed, bring as many documents as you can regarding the business operations, income and expenses. Bring a current profit and loss statement, balance sheet and any other relevant current documents. Be sure to bring the last year’s Schedule A tax return document.

6. List out the relevant facts about your case

As a reminder for yourself during your meeting, bring a bullet-point list of important facts about you, your family and children. This list will sort of act like a statistical analysis about your family. The list should include the date of marriage, children’s names and birthdays, and other like information.

7. Ask the attorney for his or her client intake sheet in advance of the meeting

Many attorneys require clients to complete an intake sheet or survey prior to the initial consultation. You can call the attorney’s office in advance to make sure that you have time to completely fill out the form.

What Will be Discussed at a Legal Consultation?

As mentioned above, there are numerous different reasons why a person would seek out the counsel of an experienced attorney. Therefore, what is discussed in a legal consultation will heavily depend on your particular legal issue. However, some discussions that normally occur at a consultation include the following:

Will My Legal Consultation Be Confidential?

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.

What Kind of Questions Should I Ask During a Legal Consultation?

As mentioned above, every legal consultation will depend on the particular circumstances regarding your specific legal issue. Questions that you should ask during a legal consultation may include questions regarding the attorneys background and qualifications, the attorneys fee arrangement, and specific questions about your case.

What is Legal Advice?

As noted many times above, an initial consultation or discussion with an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship. However, an attorneys communications towards you may form an implied attorney-client relationship, even though there was not a signed agreement.

Should I Contact an Attorney and Schedule a Legal Consultation?

As can be seen there are many advantages to scheduling a legal consultation with an experienced and well qualified attorney in your area in your area. For instance, they will be able to evaluate your case, and represent your best interests throughout the legal process, should you choose to hire them.

How does LegalMatch work?

We've helped more than 5 million clients find the right lawyer – for free. Present your case online in minutes. LegalMatch matches you to pre-screened lawyers in your city or county based on the specifics of your case. Within 24 hours experienced local lawyers review it and evaluate if you have a solid case.

Relax! Your secrets are safe with us to the fullest extent allowed by law!

First, we want to assure you that our office is a safe environment where attorney-client confidentiality and privilege rules apply.

Fill out and return your client questionnaire!

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.

Do look through the information on our website

The information we provide on our website is intended to answer some of the basic questions people commonly have when they come in for an initial consultation.

Have a written list of questions to which you can refer!

We encourage you to write down a list of questions you have for our attorneys so you can refer to the list during your initial consultation. If your loved ones and anyone else you trust have specific questions, write those down in advance as well.

Bring in copies of all the documents you have that are relevant to your situation!

Those legal papers that mean nothing to you could mean everything to one of our attorneys. If you have received documents from the court or the other side of your case, please bring them in so the attorneys can review them during your appointment. Sometimes these papers can explain the cause of your angst better than you, the potential client, can!

Be ready to take a few notes!

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.

Expect your friends or family members to sit in the waiting area during your appointment

We welcome input from your trusted loved ones, but typically only one of “you” can be our client, with whom our conversations would be protected under attorney-client confidentiality and privilege rules.

Introduction

You’re going through a divorce, facing criminal charges, or defending yourself against a malicious lawsuit. The sheer prospect of fighting through situations like these can be overwhelming at first, especially if you aren’t familiar with the law. You know you need legal advice, but is the information you find online really enough?

What is a Free Consultation?

A free consultation is essentially an appointment, either by telephone or in person, with an attorney and/or their legal team. This service is intended to grant you the opportunity to meet with the lawyer and get to know them – an important step in seeing whether you can work well together.

Do All Attorneys Offer This Service?

No – but it’s far more common for an attorney to offer free consultations than to decline them as an option. You can expect the vast majority of legal professionals to offer this service. The exact nature, however, including how long the consultation is or how long it takes to get an appointment, might vary.

Finding a Lawyer

The first step in preparing for a legal consultation is to find a lawyer. You can browse your local yellow pages, search for lawyers online, or even drive around your neighborhood paying close attention to local advertising. Jot down the names and numbers of anyone you find; then, research them to ensure they are legitimate.