what do you get in a paid consultation with an attorney

A paid consultation ensures the attorney and potential client both have the freedom to consider every option. It is also a meeting to make sure moving forward would be a good fit for both the client and the attorney. You Often Get Legal Advice During a Consultation

Full Answer

How do I get an attorney consultation?

Before you can have an attorney consultation, you need to find a lawyer who might be a good fit. Look for an attorney who focuses his or her practice on your type of legal question, or someone who lists this as a type of law they regularly practice.

What is the purpose of a free consultation with an attorney?

The purpose of a free consultation is not to obtain specific legal advice in the consultation, but rather to allow you to determine whether you would like to hire the attorney and to allow the attorney to determine whether he or she can help you achieve your legal goals. What Happens During an Initial Consultation with an Attorney?

What is the purpose of a consultation?

He has experience in litigation, estate planning, bankruptcy, real estate, and comprehensive business representation. The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs.

What should I expect at the initial consultation?

At the initial consultation the attorney will generally ask you to give him or her a brief description of what you need help with. At this point, the attorney is not looking for the whole story, but a brief summary.

What does a consultation consist of?

Consultation definition A meeting to discuss, decide, or plan something, as a meeting of several doctors to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of a patient. The act or process of consulting. A conference for the exchange of information and advice.

What is the purpose of a legal consultation?

A legal consultation is a chance for prospective clients with legal needs to meet with (in-person, over the phone, or through video chat) and discuss their legal needs with the attorney. This is where you discuss the relevant information regarding the type of legal assistance you need representation for.

What is a consultation fee?

Consulting Fees means the consideration paid by the Company or a subsidiary to a Consultant for services.

What happens at 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.

What does getting consultation mean?

the process of discussing something with someone in order to get their advice or opinion about it: He made the decision in consultation with his parents and teachers.

What is the purpose of an initial consultation?

The ultimate goal of the initial consultation is for both the attorney and prospective client to obtain enough information to make an informed decision about what to do next, while balancing time and scheduling.

How does a consultant get paid?

Consultants receive an agreed upon fee for work on a project completed by a specified date. They usually determine project fees by estimating the number of hours it will take to complete the project, multiplied by their hourly rate.

How do you calculate consulting rate?

If you're just starting a consulting business, the best way to determine your rate is to divide your former salary by 52 work weeks and then divide that number by 40 (the number of work hours in a week). This will give you the hourly rate you were making before.

Why you should charge for a consultation?

Revenue Boost: Consult fees provide a revenue boost to your practice, so even if the client doesn't decide to undergo a procedure, you are still generating revenue from your interaction with them.

How long is a consultant appointment?

Your appointment can take from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on your needs. We sometimes need to carry out further tests on the same day, or we may ask you to come back another day. But we will always fully explain why we need to do any extra tests and any associated costs.

Is a consultation the same as an assessment?

Consultation and Assessment Consultation is defined as the act of seeking information; to get or ask advice from; to confer with; and to advise professionally. Assessment includes appraisal and design around program planning and evaluation.

What does initial consultation mean?

An initial consultation is the first time that you are able to speak one-on-one with an attorney. Both you and the attorney have a chance here to learn about each other. The lawyer will learn about the details of your case while you learn about the lawyer and the firm.

What Happens During an Initial Consultation with an Attorney?

At the initial consultation the attorney will generally ask you to give him or her a brief description of what you need help with. At this point, the attorney is not looking for the whole story, but a brief summary. He or she will then ask you a series of targeted questions in order to determine:

What is retainer in a trust account?

A retainer is basically a down payment for the attorney’s work. It is kept in a trust account and remains your money and refundable until the attorney earns it. This is a great time to ask the attorney any questions that you have, including questions about his or her experience with cases like yours.

What does an attorney do when you have an understanding of your case?

Once the attorney has an understanding of your case, he or she will typically let you know what your legal options are, your prospects of success in achieving your goals, and how much he or she expects this to cost.

Do attorneys give free consultations?

Many attorneys offer both free consultations and paid consultations, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. The key to understanding the difference, is that generally attorneys will not give legal advice without being first hired by the client.

Is a free consultation free?

Most other consultations at our firm are free of charge. The purpose of a free consultation is not to obtain specific legal advice in the consultation, but rather to allow you to determine whether you would like to hire the attorney and to allow the attorney to determine whether he or she can help you achieve your legal goals.

Can an attorney give free legal advice?

The key to understanding the difference, is that generally attorneys will not give legal advice without being first hired by the client. Attorneys don’t give legal advice without first being retained ...

Who is Kevin O'Flaherty?

Kevin O’Flaherty is a graduate of the University of Iowa and Chicago-Kent College of Law. He has experience in litigation, estate planning, bankruptcy, real estate, and comprehensive business representation.

Free Consultation

Bull City Lawyer’s free consultation is a way for you to find out if you need to hire a lawyer, without having to pay out of pocket for that privilege.

Paid Consultation

First, if you know the nature of your problem, and you know exactly what sort of help you need from Bull City Lawyer, then this is most appropriately handle through a paid consultation. As an example, if you only know that you need to extend your visa, but don’t know how, then use our free consultation service to find out about some options.

What is retainer in legal?

Other lawyers use retainers as a form of a security deposit: they send their invoices to the client to pay, and if they don’t, they take it out of the retainer. The retainer can also be used to pay the final bill of all services rendered, and the remaining part of the retainer will be returned to the client.

Why do personal injury attorneys take a contingency fee?

Personal injury attorneys are willing to take the risk of a contingent payment because their contingency fee is around a third of what their client wins, more or less. Even if a lawyer loses some of the cases they take on, the amount they earn from their successful cases is usually enough to for them to profit and keep their practice afloat. This is also why you’re more likely to find personal injury attorneys more willing to offer free consultations, since more people will be enticed to go to them. This allows attorneys to choose their cases to see which has a chance of winning.

How much does a retainer cost?

Depending on the law firm or the lawyer, a retainer fee usually starts from $2,000 and can be as much as $100,000, depending on the lawyer’s experience, reputation, and the type of case. This also serves as a placeholder so that if a person frequently needs a lawyer, they are guaranteed to have that lawyer or firm’s services when needed.

Why don't lawyers give free consultations?

And time spent on you is money lost when they could be spending there time focusing on other clients. So, for them, giving you free consultation means that they are losing money since they could spend their time with a paying customer. And not everyone who comes for a consultation ends up hiring that lawyer, and those that charge consultation fees simply don’t want to waste an hour giving advice to someone that may not even become their client.

How much does an attorney consultation cost?

Attorney consultation fees can cost as much as their hour rate (which is between $100 to 400, though it can be much higher depending on the lawyer or their firm). They can also charge a discounted hourly rate of $50 to 100 for the first hour. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll have difficulty finding lawyers who provide a free initial consultation. Some law firms and private practices offer free consultations for the first hour.

What is flat rate payment?

Flat Rate Payment. When a client hires an attorney for routine services, consultation, or a service that doesn’t require much research or work, a lawyer can charge a flat rate instead of a retainer. For example, if a person wants to hire a lawyer to help draft a will, this doesn’t require much work on the lawyer’s part.

Why do lawyers charge flat fees?

However, if new evidence leads to making the case more difficult to close , then a lawyer can choose to charge more on top of the flat rate. For example, lawyers paid to draft a will may only charge a flat fee.

How Much Does It Cost to Trademark a Business Name?

The process for trademarking a business name is relatively simple and inexpensive, and well worth its weight in gold in terms of warding off unlawful use by competitors.

What to ask a lawyer before a consultation?

When you have your lawyer consultation, one of your primary questions will be about the attorney’s background. Some people feel intimidated asking about this, but the truth is you are going to pay a lot of money for services. You wouldn’t hire an electrician who had never done wiring, so it is wise to ask questions about the attorney’s experience. You can find out basics on the firm’s web site before the appointment, which will save you time. You may want to ask how many of this type of case the attorney has handled. For example, how many divorces has this lawyer done in the past year? A lawyer who has done one or two is not very experienced. You may wish to ask how long the attorney has been practicing law and how long he or she has practiced in your county or area, which will give you an idea how familiar the lawyer is with local judges and procedures. It is generally not very helpful to ask where the attorney went to law school since you can find this information online and it often tells you nothing useful anyhow. Focus instead on experience with your type of case. You can also ask the average verdict the lawyer has obtained in your type of case.

How to get an attorney consultation?

Before you can have an attorney consultation, you need to find a lawyer who might be a good fit. Look for an attorney who focuses his or her practice on your type of legal question, or someone who lists this as a type of law they regularly practice. Your local bar association may have a referral program. If you have used an attorney in the past for something else, ask him or her for a referral. It is also helpful to ask family and friends for names.

What to ask a lawyer about a case?

An important question to ask a lawyer is what the strategy for your case will be and the outcome the lawyer expects. You’ll want to get details on what kind of procedures to expect. Ask how long it will take for the entire case to be resolved. Discuss the legal strategies that will be used. Find out if your attorney will attempt to settle and if mediation or arbitration are options. Think about the answers and if you are comfortable with them. Maybe you want to avoid a trial at all costs but your attorney really wants to just go to trial, or perhaps you have no intention of settling and want your day in court. It is important that your lawyer’s strategy lines up with your needs.

What is a meeting with a lawyer?

Meeting with a lawyer for an initial consultation is generally not a chance to ask legal questions that are in depth, but is instead an opportunity to get a sense as to whether this lawyer is the right one to handle your case. Use this meeting to help you decide which lawyer will be the best one for your case.

Why is it important to meet with a small business attorney?

Meeting with a small business attorney is an important way to get your business off to a good start and minimize future risks. Here are questions to ask at your first meeting.

Why do lawyers offer free consultations?

Most lawyers offer a free consultation so that you have a chance to determine if he or she is the right person for you. Going to the first meeting with some simple questions can help you ensure you find the right person for the legal help you need. You will not get much legal advice at this consult since it is not meant to resolve your legal ...

What is a Retainer?

A retainer is like a deposit or down payment for legal services. In essence, giving a retainer is somewhat like prepaying for the hourly work that you are likely to incur. Once the retainer is spent, most attorneys will require that the retainer is replenished. Whether or not this is required will be discussed in the attorney’s engagement letter. Any amount of the retainer not earned will be returned to you after the representation ends. Bar Associations have strict rules regarding how retainers are kept. In California, for example, attorneys are required to maintain separate client trust accounts, solely for the purpose of holding these funds.

What is contingency fee?

A contingency fee arrangement means that an attorney does not get paid for his or her services until they secure a favorable settlement or win a judgment. The terms of the agreement generally set out what the contingency amount will be. For example, many agreements state that the attorney is entitled to 33% of a settlement and then increases to 40% following trial. Contingency fee agreements can be especially helpful in areas of the law where the client may be in dire need of representation, but cannot afford to pay for a retainer. They are also common in areas where the client is expected to win a large monetary settlement, such as Personal Injury or other litigation, rather than more transactional areas such as Estate Planning.

How does an attorney bill their time?

Many attorneys work on an hourly basis and bill their time in increments of 6-minute intervals. This means that every hour is divided by ten. Billable time is the time that the attorney is actually working on the case, whether responding to emails or phone calls, engaging in legal research, writing motions, or other work related to the case. Thus, lunch breaks, office chatter, and other such fillers are not billed to the client.

How to think of a lawyer consultation?

Try to think of your lawyer consultation as a combination of an interview and an informational session. Your potential lawyer will use this time to determine if they can help you, so you should use the time to consider whether or not that attorney is the right fit for your needs. If you can go into the process understanding what’s going to happen, you will have a much better chance of getting everything you need out of your consultation.

Why do people work with lawyers?

While most people think of working with a lawyer as something that only happens when a crime is committed, the truth is that the reasons you might work with an attorney range from adopting a child to starting a new business. Every working relationship begins with a consultation, though, and understanding what will happen during that consultation is an excellent way to prepare yourself to get the most you can out of that meeting.

What is initial consultation?

First and foremost, your initial consultation with an attorney is the time when you first meet that person face to face. While you can do an awful lot of research about a lawyer online, nothing is as important as the meeting you’ll have with them for the first time. You will get not only a chance to learn a bit about the attorney, but you’ll also be able to get a feeling as to whether or not this is a person with whom you would like to work in the future.

Please complete this form for a paid consultation

Free consultations are provided if you think you may need an attorney to represent you.

When you are called for the consultation, we will ask for the additional information on your card

A consultation does not result in an agreement to provide further legal services after the consultation. Only a written fee agreement means that we have agreed to represent a client in a legal matter.