What Can I Expect in My Initial Consultation?
Plan to meet with the Attorney alone.
If you want to bring someone for moral support that’s fine, but it is best if you leave them out of the meeting. When you bring someone into your attorney meeting, you are waiving attorney-client privilege. Additionally, your time is limited so you do not want a friend who is interrupting or taking over the session. Your consultation is your time to tell the whole truth. This includes the embarrassing things you have not told your friends or may be uncomfortable saying in front of them. If there is anyone you need to be honest with, it is your attorney. If you really want to bring someone, a good compromise is to have that person come into the office with you and then wait in the lobby until you’re done, or have them leave the room if you need something to be confidential.
Know that this meeting is completely confidential.
When you vent to your friends, there is no guarantee that your stories are safe with them. They can be called to testify in your case. Also, you are opening the doors to legal advice from people who are not attorneys. At your consultation, your confidentiality is guaranteed whether you choose to retain or not, and you can be confident that the information you are receiving is coming from an experienced family law attorney.
Bring a list of questions.
It is highly encouraged to bring a list of questions and concerns you may have. This is beneficial because you may not remember everything during your consultation while the attorney is feeding you with a lot of information. This is also an opportunity to include those questions that have been raised by the well-meaning friends or family members that you left outside.
Bring your documents.
If you have received any documents from the court, bring them. If there was a pre-nuptial agreement definitely bring that. If your spouse has already given you a separation agreement bring that. If you have created your own timeline of events such as cheating, abuse, late bill payments or money being moved, bring that in as well. These documents will also help remind you about questions that you have. These documents are not required to have a consultation, but they definitely help make the most of your time with the attorney.
We can’t give you a final price.
For most issues, we work off of a retainer. Your first lump payment is put into a trust account and then we work off of that amount. Payment is taken from that trust account for work already done on your case. Those are called billable hours. Your retainer agreement will break down how much the attorney’s time working on your case costs. Lastly, do not confuse a retainer agreement with the total cost of the case. The opposing party may drag the case on or not be cooperating which may mean your retainer can run out. So, at some point, you may have to reload your retainer. However, if your case does not use your total retainer then the money left will be refunded.
Interview your attorney.
Do not feel scared to ask your attorney any questions. You are choosing someone to represent you. They are going to be fighting to protect you and your rights. You are paying them a large amount of money. You want to choose the right attorney for you. Sometimes the best attorney will come through a referral and sometimes an attorney that worked for someone else might not be a good fit for you.
Hiring an attorney to handle your case is an important decision. The best advice and preparation you can do is take care of yourself emotionally and physically. You have to be ready for the information, good or bad, that you may hear. If you would like to schedule your low-cost consultation, call our office at (980) 225-1832.
