Consultations

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. 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. 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:

• The nature of your legal issue; 

• Your legal options; 

• Whether the attorney can assist you; 

• Your prospects of success; and

• The amount of work that will be required to achieve your goals, and the cost associated with such work. 

At this point, the attorney will try not to go into more detail than is necessary for him or her to make these judgments.  More detailed fact gathering will occur after the initial consultation if you decide to hire the attorney.  

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. Ready to book a consultation? Contact us today!