How to prepare for your first legal consultation
An hour of preparation makes your consultation clearer, faster and cheaper.
The first consultation sets the course of your case. An hour of preparation makes it clearer and faster, and gives the lawyer the full picture from the start.
Six steps before the meeting
- Write the facts in date order, oldest first.
- Gather documents: decisions, contracts, correspondence and receipts.
- Decide what you want: an opinion, a grievance, a lawsuit or a settlement.
- List your questions so you forget nothing.
- Watch the deadlines: some rights expire after set periods.
- Be candid; the consultation is confidential.
Documents by type of matter
- Administrative decision: a copy of it and proof of when you learned of it
- Criminal case: the summons or complaint and any official records
- Money or business dispute: contracts, correspondence and proof of amounts
- Family matter: the marriage contract and children’s birth certificates
When you book online, your answers are arranged automatically into a message the lawyer reads before you meet, with the documents suggested for your matter.
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