Planning ahead: make the most of your consultation with an attorney

When meeting with a lawyer during a free consultation, going in the meeting blindly can quickly make the appointment counter-productive. While a 30 minute consultation is a good amount of time to discuss a legal issue, 30 minutes can go by really fast if not properly prepared, and, before you know it, the consultation is over. Therefore, prior to the consultation, it is important to you prepare a series of questions or topics that you want to discuss with the lawyer.

When discussing your situation, cover only the main points of what happened and why you are concerned. It’s easy to stray away from the main idea and delve into areas that are secondary. For example, if you are discussing a business dispute involving your previous business partner’s frivolous spending habits, it would be unnecessary to detail every single expense. There will be time to discuss the details later if you and the lawyer decide to work with each other.

If necessary, it may be helpful to try rehearsing what you would like to tell the attorney during your meeting. This may help reduce nervousness and help ensure that you are sharing the information in a timely manner.

If you would like to know more about preparing your consultation with a lawyer, contact the Riverside County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service. For updates regarding legal news, follow us on twitter.

Not in Riverside? Then try the Bar Association of San Francisco Lawyer Referral Service, Brooklyn Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, or the Chicago Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service.

The materials in this blog are for informational purposes only, and are not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or current, and should not be relied on as legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer if you need help with a legal matter and not rely on anything you read on this blog or elsewhere on the web.

Communication and your attorney

With any legal issue, you can expect a substantial amount of communication between you and your lawyer. Therefore, maintaining professional and timely exchanges with your attorney is imperative in seeing your legal matter handled appropriately.

During your consultation with the lawyer, discuss both your and the lawyer’s expectations and manner regarding communication. Do you prefer to communicate via phone or through email? Or, does your legal matter require that you meet with the lawyer face-to-face? How quick can the attorney respond to your questions or concerns?

There are other factors that may affect the efficiency of your communication with the lawyer such as the lawyer’s workload, the difficulty of your case, and the timeframe for your issue. It’s best to clear up any of these issues during the initial consultation so that you and the lawyer maintain effective communication.

If you have more questions about how to prepare for a consultation and how to communicate with a lawyer, contact the Riverside Lawyer Referral Services. We want to help.

If your matter is not in Riverside County, consider one of these alternative Lawyer Referral Services:

Brooklyn Bar Association

The Bar Association of San Francisco

Chicago Bar Association

The materials in this blog are for informational purposes only, and are not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or current, and should not be relied on as legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer if you need help with a legal matter and not rely on anything you read on this blog or elsewhere on the web.

“Honesty is the best policy” – opening up during the consultation

Some people aren’t sure how they should present themselves and their legal matters when meeting with a lawyer. Maybe they had some fault in the situation. Perhaps there are uncomfortable details in their circumstances. People may think that leaving out details that may incriminate them or make the lawyer uncomfortable would be beneficial as they would be presenting themselves in a “better light.” However, this is very counterproductive and concealing information from the lawyer can ultimately make the legal situation worse.

When you meet with the attorney during your consultation, it is important that you are completely honest with your case so that the attorney can fully understand your situation and give you the best advice regarding the next steps. Discuss the main points of your situation and do not hesitate to bring in information that you think may tarnish your image. The lawyer is there to help you and not judge you for your actions.

In addition, everything that you disclose to the lawyer is completely confidential and protected by the attorney-client privilege, even if you decide to not continue to work with the lawyer. All of the information that you provide is safe and it cannot be disclosed to anyone else without your permission.

If you have more questions or concerns regarding the types of conversations that you should have with a lawyer, please contact the Riverside County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Services. For more legal information and updates, follow the Riverside LRS on twitter.

In case your matter is not in Riverside County, consider one of these alternatives:

Brooklyn Bar Association

Chicago Bar Association

The Bar Association of San Francisco

The materials in this blog are for informational purposes only, and are not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or current, and should not be relied on as legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer if you need help with a legal matter and not rely on anything you read on this blog or elsewhere on the web.