how to ask for consultation from an attorney

by Nella Goyette 6 min read

How to Handle Your Legal Consultation.

  • Ask About History and Background. First of all, consider a consultation as a sort of interview. You will interview the attorney to find out if the law ...
  • Assess Listening Skills.
  • Ask About the Plan of Action.
  • Ask About Any Conflicts of Interest.

Questions to Ask Your Lawyer During a Consultation
  1. 1) What kind of experience do you have with similar cases?
  2. 2) What would be your strategy for my case?
  3. 3) Are there any alternatives to going to court?
  4. 4) What are my possible outcomes?
  5. 5) Who will actually handle my case?
  6. 6) What is my role in my case?
Jan 29, 2017

Full Answer

What are the best questions to ask a lawyer?

Feb 23, 2022 · Ask the lawyer about their experience and areas of practice during your consultation. You can ask whether they think your case will go to court and how long they believe the settlement process will take. Other important questions to ask your lawyer may concern the facts of the case.

What questions do lawyers ask their clients?

Sep 15, 2008 · Questions that you should ask during a legal consultation may include questions regarding the attorneys background and qualifications, the attorneys fee arrangement, and specific questions about your case. For instance, in a divorce case, you may want to ask the attorney what their legal strategy is for obtaining child custody or alimony. Further, you may …

What should I ask before hiring an attorney?

Apr 28, 2019 · A prospective client should ask a number of important questions about the lawyer’s experience and ability to successfully handle his or her case. The lawyer will also ask the client a number of critical questions about the case, including how the injuries occurred , the types of damages that resulted from the accident, and who was responsible for the accident.

What questions does an attorney ask?

Feb 22, 2021 · In addition to any case-specific questions, some things to ask during an initial consultation include: The attorney’s law education history and board certification; The attorney’s legal experience, especially regarding cases similar to yours; The outcome of cases the attorney has handled that are related to your case;

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How do you write a letter asking for a lawyer?

A letter to the lawyer should be addressed in a respected and professional manner. At the Lawyer's address, you should include his/her full name, postal and physical address. As a matter of salutation address a lawyer as “Mr.” or “Ms.” followed by His or her surname.Oct 12, 2021

How do I prepare my first consultation with a lawyer?

Prepare For Your ConsultationBring all documents. Make copies of all the documents you have collected regarding your case and give these copies to your lawyer.Have notes ready. ... Dress for success. ... Be honest. ... Talk about costs. ... Ask your lawyer questions. ... Understand all documents you sign. ... Keep your own files.More items...

What do lawyers do in a consultation?

During your consultation, the attorney will ask about the issues in your case and discuss the merits of the actions and the various ways you can proceed. There will then be a mutual selection process.

What are some questions to ask an attorney?

In Order to Move Forward With Any Lawyer, First Ask These Ten QuestionsHow Long Have You Practiced Law? ... What Types of Cases Do You Manage? ... Who's Your Typical Client? ... How Many Similar Cases Have You Taken On? ... What Kind of Special Training or Knowledge You Have Outside Your Law Degree? ... What Are Your Fees and Costs?More items...

What is an initial consultation?

An Initial consultation is a 90 minute consultation for a new client who would like to meet with a psychologist to discuss current issues and/or concerns and talk about strategies and goals for therapy and/or a treatment plan.

How can I communicate with my lawyer?

Stay informed about your case.Take notes if you talk to your lawyer in person or over the telephone. Store your notes in the same place. ... Always review your notes before contacting your attorney. The answer to your question may be in your notes.Your lawyer should also send you copies of documents filed in your case.

What does a consultation consist of?

The definition of a consultation is a meeting with a professional or expert for purposes of gaining information, or the act or process of formally discussing and collaborating on something. When you schedule an appointment with a lawyer to get information on your legal rights, this is an example of a consultation.

Is a free consultation really free?

In some cases, attorneys may offer free phone consultations as the starting point. ... If you have been seriously injured and are unable to travel, some attorneys will visit you in the hospital or at home. It's true: Free legal consultations really are free.Jul 2, 2015

What's a consultation in law?

In short, a legal consultation is an initial meeting with an attorney that takes place before you make the decision on whether to hire that attorney to represent you in your particular legal matter.Jul 22, 2019

What are some questions an attorney might ask a new client?

What Questions do Lawyers Ask Their Clients?What is your case about? A lawyer will want to know every single detail of your case. ... What do you hope to accomplish? ... How do you want us to communicate? ... Why did you choose me? ... Are you comfortable with my rates?Nov 28, 2019

How do you answer legal interview questions?

Below are some common legal interview questions—plus suggestions on how to approach them.Tell me a little about yourself. ... What attracted you to our firm/organization? ... Can you describe a challenge or conflict you have faced at work and how you overcame it? ... What is your biggest weakness? ... Do you have any questions for us?Mar 20, 2021

What is retainer payment?

A retainer fee is an amount of money paid upfront to secure the services of a consultant, freelancer, lawyer, or other professional. A retainer fee is most commonly paid to individual third parties that have been engaged by the payer to perform a specific action on their behalf.

How to consult with an attorney?

Before consulting with an attorney you should make sure that you properly prepare for the consultation by gathering any and all documents that are relevant to your case. It is important to bring every document you have for the attorney to review, as they will be able to properly determine which documents are relevant, and which are not. Documents that you should bring with you may include any of the following: 1 Contracts: If your claim arose from a contract dispute, then you should bring copies of the contract and any documents explaining the contract; 2 Police or Accident Reports: If possible, you should bring any police or accident report that was created as a result of the incident you were involved in; 3 Property Deeds: If your claim involves a property dispute, you should be sure to bring a copy of the deed or any documents relating to the property, such as an oil and gas lease, etc.; 4 Employment Records: If you claim is an employment dispute, then you should bring all of your employment records, such as your employment contract, employment agreements, or timesheets; or 5 Other Documents Evidencing Damages: Other important documents to bring include any evidence of damages, such as medical records or expenses, or any warranties or letters created by the party you are trying to sue.

What is a legal consultation?

In short, a legal consultation is an initial meeting with an attorney that takes place before you make the decision on whether to hire that attorney to represent you in your particular legal matter. Further, the attorney will also use the consultation in order to determine if they can legally and competently represent you based on ...

How to prepare for a consultation with an attorney?

Before consulting with an attorney you should make sure that you properly prepare for the consultation by gathering any and all documents that are relevant to your case. It is important to bring every document you have for the attorney to review, as they will be able to properly determine which documents are relevant, and which are not.

What is legal advice?

Legal advice is advice given to a person that seeks the advice from an attorney, the advice given pertains to matters within the attorney’s competence, and the attorney expressly or impliedly agrees to give advice or their assistance in the matter. If such legal advice is given an implied attorney-client relationship may be formed between you ...

What to do if you have been injured in an accident?

If you have been injured in an accident, it is a good idea to obtain the assistance of an experienced accident attorney who can help you pursue the compensation you need to recover from your injuries. Before retaining a lawyer’s services, however, you will often meet for a free lawyer consultation. Consultations provide accident victims ...

How to schedule a free initial consultation?

In many cases, all you have to do to schedule a free initial consultation is to contact an experienced attorney on the phone or by email to discuss your lawsuit. It is also possible to use a firm’s online contact form to arrange a free initial consultation.

Can I have a free consultation with a lawyer?

Before retaining a lawyer’s services, however, you will often meet for a free lawyer consultation. Consultations provide accident victims with important details about their rights as well as their chances of obtaining compensation for the damages caused by the accident.

How long does it take for a personal injury case to resolve?

It is a good idea to ask how long it will take for your case to resolve, though similar to predicting compensation awards, it can be tricky to determine how long a case will last. In almost all cases, though, it is not useful to expect that a case will be resolved in a few weeks. Most personal injury cases will take months or even years to resolve.

Do NJ personal injury attorneys charge for consultations?

Most personal accident law firms in New Jersey offer consultations free of charge. Because you will not be required to pay anything to attend the consultation, there is often no reason to resist attending this session.

Why do we write contracts?

Thus, writing contracts is done in order to avoid problems and delays later on, as litigation could result if the parties to the transaction experience a dispute. Real Estate litigation commonly involves zoning, construction defects, homeowners associations, and/or boundary disputes.

What is real estate law?

Real Estate law is what provides the legal guidelines and protections for those involved in the sale and purchase of real property. Real property refers to property that is affixed to the land, or a piece of land itself, as opposed to personal property, which is property that is typically easily movable.

Is a legal consultation free?

Before meeting with your real estate attorney, verify whether the consultation will be free of charge. Generally speaking, legal consultations are free.

What is an initial meeting with an attorney?

This is an initial meeting with an attorney that occurs before you decide whether to hire that attorney to represent you in your real estate dispute. The attorney will also use the initial legal consultation to determine if they can legally and competently represent you.

What should be included in an initial consultation?

An initial consultation should always include a discussion of the fees that an attorney may charge and the legal facts and circumstances of your case. You should discuss an attorney’s fee arrangement during the consultation, prior to retaining them, especially if cost is a large determining factor for you.

What can a real estate attorney do?

A real estate attorney will be able to review the facts of your case, as well as any documents, to determine how best to move forward. An attorney will also help you collect additional evidence through the legal discovery process. Finally, they can also represent you in a court of law, as needed.

What to do after initial consultation with attorney?

If you are comfortable with the attorney, the next step after the initial consultation is to sign a retainer agreement. The retainer agreement should, at least, set forth the fee structure and the scope of representation. The exact terms and conditions of your retainer agreement will depend on the attorney and on the nature of your legal matter.

What to do if you can't trust your attorney?

You need to trust your attorney, which is the cornerstone of any successful attorney-client relationship. If you can’t trust your lawyer, then you need to find one who you can . The above tips should help make your initial consultation with your attorney as productive as possible.

Why is it important to hire an attorney?

Hiring an attorney as early on in your case is essential to getting the best representation you can. Meeting with an attorney as soon as possible not only ensures that deadlines aren’t missed, but it also gives your attorney more time to understand the issues and help you reach the best possible resolution.

Can you lie to your attorney?

Don’t ever lie to your attorney. Even if you think something can be damaging to your case, it’s even worse to withhold information. Your attorney can mitigate almost anything you’ve done as long as you’re truthful from the outset.

How to get legal advice for free?

There are many free legal advice services available online as well, but we strongly advise you to take all online advice with a grain of salt. The law varies from state to state, and those giving legal advice will often have differing opinions, and may not even be licensed to practice law. That being said, here are a few of the most-popular sites: 1 AVVO.com’s “Ask a Lawyer” service. Post a question and get free advice from multiple lawyers. Questions are often answered within 12 hours. 2 FreeAdvice.com’s “Ask a Lawyer” service. Another free service which allows users to publicly pose questions for attorneys to answer. 3 FindLaw’s Legal Answers Forum. An active message board which allows users to pose various legal questions on various legal issues. 4 Reddit.com’s Legal Advice Subreddit. This community-driven subreddit is extremely active, and users are quick to give their input on various legal issues. 5 LawGuru’s “Ask a Legal Question”. Get free answers to your public (or private) legal questions from multiple attorneys. 6 American Bar Association. The ABA website will guide you to a list of resources in your state.

What is the number to call an attorney?

When you call 1-800-ATTORNEY (1-800-288-6763) , you’ll be connected with an attorney in your area who’s familiar with the laws in your state, who’s willing to listen to your concerns, and who can explain the options available to you moving forward. Calls are answered 24 hours a day! 24/7 FREE LEGAL ADVICE: 1-800-ATTORNEY.

What is the number to call for legal advice?

Calls are answered 24 hours a day! 24/7 FREE LEGAL ADVICE: 1-800-ATTORNEY. Call 1-800-ATTORNEY. There are many free legal advice services available online as well, but we strongly advise you to take all online advice with a grain of salt.

What is the best phone number to call for a free consultation?

When you call 1-800-ATTORNEY (1-800-288-6763), you’ll be connected with an attorney in your area who’s familiar with ...

Letter to Lawyer Requesting Services Sample 2

Hello, Ms. Shelly, I am Chiara Facciani, heard about you and your work experience from my friend and she recommended your name for my future business plan. I would like to tell you that I am going to start a new venture for software products and services and I am looking for an attorney to help me in the following.

Letter to Lawyer Requesting Services Sample 3

My name is Quinto Chevalier and I am writing this letter to bring to your kind notice that I filed a case against my neighbor regarding property endorsement through your firm and later on I found a change in lawyer appointment for my case discussion and management.

Letter to Lawyer Requesting Services Sample 4

My name is Quinto Chevalier and I am a Social worker. I am working for women and child welfare society and now want to start my own NGO to expand my work in this field.

Letter to Lawyer Requesting Services Sample 5

It is matter of great concern for me that while I was away from Seattle for 2 years, my ex-husband has got the authority of the house that I bought 3 years ago and it was in my name.

What is an initial consultation?

All attorneys meet with prospective clients in what is called an initial consultation. This is a first meeting between you and the lawyer to help you both decide whether you want to work together in an attorney-client relationship. At this point, you are both checking each other out, and getting information and advice that can help you ...

What are some examples of legal documents?

Examples may include birth certificates, marriage certificates, cell phone texts, emails, photos, audio recordings, or videos. Make a set of copies of everything that you plan to share with the lawyer. Give the lawyer the copies at the beginning of the initial consultation.

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