Wear dress pants and a nice shirt or top. Men should wear shirts with a collar. Women may also wear conservative skirts or dresses, but they must not be too tight or revealing. Arrive on time. Lawyers are very busy and you should try your best to get to their office on time.
May 14, 2010 · You’ll be paying this person a lot of money if you move past the consult stage, so you should be able to wear whatever the hell you want. The lawyer will probably be wearing a suit if this is a business meeting in an office. If you would feel awkward showing up in a rugby outfit, then you should probably wear something along the same lines.
Jan 03, 2014 · The short answer is dress comfortably -- you don't need to wear a suit or anything formal. Attorneys often wear suits in the office, but we don't expect potential clients to do the same when coming in for a consultation. DISCLAIMER: The information in this post is provided as a public service and is for general information purposes only.
May 02, 2022 · The Legal Plan. 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 ...
Jan 04, 2015 · Wear closed toe shoes. Wear glasses if you normally wear glasses. Wear your hair and nails trimmed and orderly. Dress like a professional. Dress conservatively and, when appropriate, wear good quality clothing. If you have a choice, always dress as well as the other people who may appear in court. Remember that the “good guys” never wear black.
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.)
The more prepared you are with completed questionnaires (if the lawyer sent you any ahead of time), documents, diagrams, and your own questions, the easier this process will be , and the more you will impress the lawyer.
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.
In the case of lawyers who charge hourly, some start out by charging a retainer, which is an initial up-front fee that they then bill against at an hourly rate until it runs out (at which point the assumption is usually that you'll be ready to pay more).
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.
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 ...
Dress professionally. This does not necessarily mean you need to wear a suit, but you should wear the type of attire you would wear to any formal business meeting. This shows the attorney that you are a professional, and are taking your case seriously.
Dress nicely. You don't have to put on a suit. However, you should dress like you are going to an interview for a nice office job. Remember that the attorney is judging your professionalism just as much as you are judging theirs. You want to show that you are serious.
Call to hire the lawyer. Once you have selected a lawyer, you should call and tell them that you want to hire them. They will tell you what next steps to take. For example, you may need to get additional documents for the lawyer.
In other circumstances, the attorney may be too busy to take your case. If, for whatever reason, the lawyer you meet with cannot take your case, you will want to ask them for recommendations about other attorneys in the area. A lot of attorneys rely on referrals for business, and attorneys will often know of people who might be able to take your case. These referrals can be a great way to find a great attorney.
What other training or expertise does the attorney have apart from a law degree? For example, an attorney might also be a certified accountant. This could be helpful in a child support or alimony case.
Always pay attention to how the attorney's staff treats you. This is a good gauge for judging how professional the attorney is. An attorney with unprofessional staff probably isn't too professional him or herself.
Obtain more details about the lawyer's experience. The lawyer's website should contain general information about their experience. At the consultation, you can drill down and get more details. For example, you should ask the following:
Have the lawyer tell you if you are missing anything. For example, you might want to sue for emotional distress but you haven't seen a therapist or psychiatrist yet.
The general rule is to dress conservatively. Depending on why you are summoned to court, a solid charcoal or navy suit with a white shirt and coordinating tie will pass any judge's standards. Find yourself in a rural area attending traffic court – then consider a sports jacket with slacks and slip-ons with no tie.
And there is a difference between large city and small-town courts. Judges and attorneys in rural areas may only wear odd jackets, dress shirt, and trousers around town and in court. Judges and attorneys in a metropolis like New York City or San Francisco will more likely be wearing 2 piece suits.
Wear your pants around your waist. Tuck in your shirt. Wear a belt. And make sure that your clothing fits you.
Dressing well in court also pays respect to the integrity of the judicial system. The United States is one of the few countries where participants in civil proceeding have a lot of flexibility in their dress – however that does not give us the freedom to dress as we please.
The judge will see your military service on your presented record – you can't assume the jury will be able to see what they are from 20 feet away. 1. Know the court's dress code – Either read about it on the courthouse's website or call and ask; no excuse for ignorance here.
7. No hats – If you go to court in winter you can wear a hat outside the courthouse, but once you enter remove your hat. Wearing a hat indoors is a sign of ignorance and worse disrespect.
Note that judges can and will throw you out for dressing inappropriatel y – so take the time to select clothing that shows the judge, lawyers, and the legal clerks that you care about the laws and your rights.
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.
When you have your lawyer consultation, one of your primary questions will be about the attorney’s background. Some people feel intimidated asking about this, but the truth is you are going to pay a lot of money for services. You wouldn’t hire an electrician who had never done wiring, so it is wise to ask questions about the attorney’s experience. You can find out basics on the firm’s web site before the appointment, which will save you time. You may want to ask how many of this type of case the attorney has handled. For example, how many divorces has this lawyer done in the past year? A lawyer who has done one or two is not very experienced. You may wish to ask how long the attorney has been practicing law and how long he or she has practiced in your county or area, which will give you an idea how familiar the lawyer is with local judges and procedures. 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.
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. If you have used an attorney in the past for something else, ask him or her for a referral. It is also helpful to ask family and friends for names.
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.
It is preferable for females to wear a dress or suit or a skirt ( preferably no more than two inches above the knee) and a blouse, sweater, or casual dress shirt. Pants are not preferred.
Even if you cannot afford to buy soap, a quick shower with just water will do the job. Wear plain patterns or floral patterns. If you wear a dress or skirt, wear sheer, nylon pantyhose.
Most court dress codes are strict, intending to keep order and protect the safety of attendees. They are also designed to match the level of respect one should grant the justice system. And, because judges are the arbiters of that respect, they also have the right to enforce the dress code–with fines and jail time.
A recent study from researchers at Cornell University found that more attractive defendants were more likely than their less pretty counterparts to get light sentences: the less attractive criminals earned, on average, “22 months longer in prison.”.
Dress to fit the expectations of your audience; judges expect you to look like a professional.
Avoid wearing tinted or dark colored glasses in the courtroom (People will not believe you if they cannot see your eyes).
Remember that even a small flaw in your appearance will be noticed by the judge, jury, and opposing counsel, and it may hurt your credibility.
Lawyer communication, competency, ethics, and fees are important aspects of an attorney-client relationship. As a summary you can expect your lawyer to do the following: 1 Give you advice about your legal situation 2 Keep you informed about your case 3 Tell you what he or she thinks will happen in your case 4 Allow you to make the important decisions regarding your case 5 Give you an estimate about what your case should cost 6 Assist you in any cost-benefit analyses that you may need 7 Keep in communication with you 8 Inform you of any changes, delays or setbacks 9 Give you the information you need to make good decisions, and 10 Prepare you for your case, including deposition and trial preparation.
In general, however, you should be able to expect to get a general overview of your case whenever you request it from your attorney. In addition, you should also expect your attorney to call you back or return your emails in a timely manner. If your attorney does not respond within a business day, he or she should provide you with a reason why they were unable to answer your question (typically, if your lawyer is working on multiple cases, he or she may be tied down in court on some days).
In addition to lawyer communication problems, you may also have problems with the competency of your lawyer's work. Competency relates to the core knowledge and expertise of an attorney in handling a client's legal issue. You should remember that lawyers are not machines and they are just as capable of making a mistake as anyone else ...
Lawyer communication refers to the correspondence and communication between a client and his/her attorney. If you have a lawyer communication problem, you may be wondering if you have a bad attorney or if he or she is doing a poor job on your case. You should know that many states have laws regarding when and how a lawyer must communicate with clients.
If your attorney does not respond within a business day, he or she should provide you with a reason why they were unable to answer your question (typically, if your lawyer is working on multiple cases, he or she may be tied down in court on some days).
Lawyer communication, competency, ethics, and fees are important aspects of an attorney-client relationship. As a summary you can expect your lawyer to do the following:
Billing at an attorney's rate for work done by a paralegal or legal secretary. Complaints regarding over-charging for time spent on a case. The first thing that you should do upon finding and hiring the right lawyer for your case is to make sure that you get the fee agreement in writing that you can understand.
Speaking of charging, the wig seems to be by far the most expensive item in the whole getup. A real barrister wig is handmade from 100% horsehair (although apparently there are some synthetic vegan versions these days). Like the robes, or the use of terms like "herein" and "by reason of", this is something that was once the hight of fashion, but that everyone who isn't a lawyer abandoned more than 300 years ago.
And so the Australian-style barrister jabot was born, available from a Ludlows near you.
Fast forward to the late 1800s, and the fashion is now for shirts to have a starched collar that's attached to the otherwise collarless shirt shirt with metal studs. Of course, a few decades later everyone decided to just sew the collars onto the shirt again and forget about the whole studs thing. Except for barristers (and priests). Barristers kept wearing the detachable starched collars in a "wing collar" shape, with the two white bands around their necks. And that's basically what is worn today.
The other thing about the bag, so I'm told, is not only do you use it to carry your robes, it's the only kind of bag you're allowed to carry when you're in your robes. Apparently shoulder-bags and backpacks are frowned on. But wheelie suitcases are acceptable. As are steel trolleys.
It turns out that these days you can buy shirts that have wing collars sewn on! You can wear a wing collar without even needing the brass studs! It's just called a "tuxedo shirt".
Anyway, the point is that for now you need a blue bag with your initials on it. That means it needs to be made to order. As I have no basis to distinguish between the merits of different blue-bag manufacturers, I again went with Stanley Ley, on the basis that I was ordering everything else from them already and so it seemed easiest. And it worked out fine. Couldn't ask for more from a monogrammed blue string-bag.
Tell the Truth. If your lawyer doubts you in the consultation, or doesn't think you have a case, while that may change over time, getting over an initial disbelief is very hard. You have to prove your case. Your attorney is not your witness. They are your advocate - but you are responsible for coming up with proof.
If the judge can see your boobs, he's not listening to your story. If I can see your boobs, then I know you didn't care enough about yourself to talk to an attorney. Dress like you are going to church. Credibility is one of the most important things in this world - and most important in a courtroom.
Most people hired attorneys because they don't want to sit in court. Well, truth be told, neither do I. The difference between lawyer and client is that the lawyer expects it to take a long time and understands. The client typically thinks it's unjustified. So, your hard truth is that each case takes time. Be patient.
Credibility is one of the most important things in this world - and most important in a courtroom. If you care enough only to wear sweats to the courthouse, then the judge will see that you don't care, and that will be reflected in their desire to help you, listen to you, and decide in your favor. Step it up.
If you don't pay your lawyer on the day of trial, or however you have agreed to, then while he or she may be obligated by other ethical duties to do his/her best, they won't be motivated by sympathy for you, and it will show in court.
While lawyers can certainly take your money and your time and we can file a case that will be very hard to win, if you don't care enough about your life to get a contract, the judge is not very likely to be on your side. At least, not automatically. Oral contracts are extremely hard to prove. What are the terms.
Don' t forget that lawyers don't always need to take more cases. Yes, new clients are a great thing, but I don't want clients that will eat all my time and get no where fast. Your tip: keep your communication very simple and to the point.