What To Expect During Your Initial Consultation
We recognize that by the time you come to the point of contacting an attorney, you’ve already gone through and are continuing to go through a stressful point in your life. As we often say, people do not generally come to their attorneys because they are having a good day. Rather, attorneys, frequently like doctors, are contacted only when something has gone wrong.
In the case of attorneys most often this is because the client has been sued, has just separated from their spouse or is contemplating a separation, has been arrested or has been injured or involved in some other dispute. Ideally, the attorney could turn back time to avoid the clients’ trouble to begin with, but given that we do not have that ability, we will assist you in dealing with the situation to address your legal issues and attempt to gain the relief you are seeking.
Protecting Your Legal Rights With An Initial Consultation
The primary purpose of an initial consultation is to allow the attorney to gather facts from you and based on those facts and circumstances to advise you of the options available to you under the law. Once we have discussed your options, it is up to you as the client to direct us how to proceed. We recognize that every case has at least three components; your legal rights, your economic rights and the emotional factor.
Oftentimes, a client’s legal and economic rights are closely related, however; sometimes a client’s personal interest is best served by pursuing non-legal means. Though it is very difficult, it is important to attempt to sort out your emotions from the facts in order to proceed, as the court ultimately will make its decision not based upon emotion but upon a rational businesslike approach guided by the principles of the law.
Get An Initial Consultation For Your Legal Matter
Many clients are surprised by what they learn during an initial consultation as they are informed of all the factors that ultimately determine whether they have a good case and a likely favorable outcome. An experienced attorney is trained not only to identify the legal issues presented by the fact scenario you lay out but also is able to express an opinion on other factors that may influence a potential outcome.
In order for the attorney to be able to do his job and to give the most accurate analysis of your situation, it is imperative that you be open and honest with your attorney. An attorney cannot be as effective if they do not have all the facts, both good and bad. Oftentimes, things that you may think are damaging to your case or are embarrassing, do not have the legal effect you anticipated.
You can feel free to discuss these matters with your attorney at Bull & Reinhardt, PLLC, as everything you say is held strictly confidential and cannot be disclosed without your consent, and an experienced attorney has probably heard similar scenarios as yours before.
Understand What To Have At Your Legal Consultation
In order to assist in the initial consultation and as a head start to the discovery process, you should attempt to gather and bring with you as much information as possible. If items are not available, do not worry, they can be obtained later. Some items you should try to bring to the initial meeting (if applicable) are:
Family law materials
- Any legal papers you have recently been served with
- Copies of any prior orders or agreements
- Dates of marriage, separation, children’s birth dates, and Social Security numbers
- Name of your employer and your spouse’s employer
- Copies of recent years’ tax returns and pay stubs for you and adverse party
- Name of bank and account numbers for all accounts
- List of all real property owned by location and deed reference if possible
- Stock, bond, IRA, and retirement information for self and adverse party
- List of any special items of personal property (jewelry, artwork, heirlooms, etc.)
- List of debts, both joint and separate, with account numbers
- Note any skeletons such as drug or alcohol assessments and treatment, domestic violence, etc.
- Any witnesses’ names, contact information and statements
Personal Injury Materials
- Accident reports
- Medical records and bills
- List of medical care providers
- Copies of any correspondence from the insurance company or their agents
- Mailing address and physical address of the adverse party
- Note any skeletons such as drug or alcohol assessments and treatment, domestic violence, etc.
- Any witnesses’ names, contact information and statements
- Dates of prior medical treatment and injuries
Business Law Materials
- Any legal papers you have recently been served with
- Copies of any prior orders or agreements
- Accident reports
- Mailing address and physical address of the adverse party
- Copies of deeds, surveys, plats, title insurance (real estate matters)
Although the above may seem like a lot to put together, the steps you take not only assist the attorney in being able to make a more informed analysis of your situation but also will likely reduce your overall legal bills as you will not have to pay the attorney for their time in gathering the information.
Most importantly, however, remember that our professional services are to assist you in your situation. Everything you tell them is confidential. Do not be afraid to ask questions to be sure you understand what options the attorney has given you. If the attorney says something you do not understand, ask them to explain it further.
Learn More By Calling Our Office
At Bull & Reinhardt, PLLC, we believe that an informed client is 828-254-0499 to schedule your initial consultation.