Hi all! Hard to believe that we are over halfway done with January already. Time flies! Today I wanted to offer some basic dos and don’ts when it comes to your first consultation with an attorney. These tips can help you succeed, find the right attorney, and get one step closer to resolving any case or claim that you may have.
Do ask the attorney about their experience in dealing with cases like yours. This will help you decide how confident you are in letting this attorney handle your case and find out more about what your case will be like.
Do read any agreement offered and make sure you understand what it is saying. It is okay to be confused, legal language and everything in the legal world can be incredibly difficult to understand. However, you need to make sure you are asking for clarification when you do not understand something so that you are not blindsided down the road. This will also help your overall relationship with your attorney.
Do make sure to bring important documents. If you have any past legal cases, medical documents, financial documents, etc. related to your case, then bring them to your initial consultation! This helps your attorney better understand your case and if it is something they can handle.
Don’t expect tons of free legal advice during your first consultation. Many attorneys, Marcie Baker included, offer a free initial consultation. This, however, does not mean you have unlimited time to get all of the free legal information you want. It will likely be a 30-minute discussion so the attorney can understand the facts of your case with small discussions regarding legal advice.
Don’t lie. This pretty much goes without saying, but, if you lie, your attorney will not be properly prepared to handle your case and withholding critical information could hurt your case down the road. It is best to always be honest, even if it is uncomfortable.
Don’t be on your phone, tablet, etc., and make sure it is on silent. Especially when the consultation is free, it is important that you show your potential attorney the same respect that you expect of them if/when they handle your case. Devote your full attention to the consultation so that the attorney knows that you are paying attention and ready to get to work.
Hopefully, you learned some helpful tricks from this blog. While this is not all that there is to know, it is a good starting point as you begin a relationship with any attorney. Feel free to contact our office to learn more!
Sources:
https://manhattankansasattorney.com/legal-topics/2018/2/7/the-dos-and-donts-of-your-initial-consultation
https://www.cmarlowlaw.com/post/the-do-s-and-don-ts-of-the-initial-consultation-important-considerations-in-selecting-an-attorney
https://joanbundylaw.com/resources/preparing-for-first-meeting-with-lawyer/
***The information in this blog in no way constitutes legal advice of any form. Should you have questions regarding consultations with an attorney, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
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