Preparing
for Your Visit with
Your
Attorney
Chances
are that at some point in your life you will find yourself facing a legal
problem requiring the assistance of an attorney. Whether you are involved in a contract
dispute, a personal injury dispute, a divorce, or simply need to have a will
prepared, the following tips will help your consultation with your attorney go more
smoothly, and may save you time and legal fees:
1. Gather all relevant documents and take
them with you to your consultation. This
may include contracts, invoices, receipts, letters, or anything else related to
your legal issue. This will help your
attorney thoroughly evaluate your case and could help move your case along
faster.
2. Make a list of all people who are
involved with your legal issue, and their addresses and telephone numbers. This may include potential witnesses, doctors
that treated your injury, or other people that have information about your
case.
3. If you have been served with a lawsuit
(or any other papers) by the sheriff or a process server, make a note of the
date you were served, and tell your attorney that date. There are strict time limits for responding
to a lawsuit.
4. Make a list of all issues and questions
that you want to discuss with your attorney.
This will help avoid repeated telephone calls and visits, and will save
you both time and attorney’s fees.
5. Remember, what you tell your attorney
will be kept confidential. Do not be
afraid to tell your attorney everything that is relevant to your case – even
things you think might harm your case.
It is better to deal with problems from the outset, than to be surprised
by them later, at some critical stage of litigation.
6. Finally, be prepared to discuss the
payment of legal fees. You may be asked
to sign a fee agreement with your attorney detail how your attorney will be
compensated for his or her services
(i.e. flat fee, hourly, or contingency).
Depending on the type of case, your attorney may ask you to pay a
retainer before he or she begins work on your case.
© Rod Powell 2012