There are lots of reasons in life, both good and bad, that require you to hire an attorney. When you’ve narrowed down your list of possible law firms, you will want to schedule a consultation to talk with them about your case and to decide if you’re moving forward. As most lawyers work on an hourly basis, you will want to be prepared when you arrive at your consultation to save yourself both time and money.
Prepare a List of Involved Parties and Witnesses
Conflict of interests can be a huge issue when working with a new attorney. One of the first things you should do after arriving at your consultation with law offices in Rockville Maryland is to share the names of any people or businesses that may be involved in your case. Attorneys are obligated to recuse themselves in the event of a conflict of interests, so being upfront about names that may come up can prevent future issues and also help to protect your case.
Organize Any Details and Thoughts
It can be a bit intimidating when you’re first sitting down to discuss your case with a lawyer. Before you go, make sure that you have made notes about your case and any important points that you want to be sure to share. Having an outline and notes can help you to avoid multiple billable calls later on as you realize things that you forgot to tell your attorney at the initial consultation. Make copies of important documents that you can leave with your attorney, as well as lists of contact information for witnesses and other contacts that they may need. Having the big picture can help them to guide you in the right direction for any next steps in your case. It will be convenient to have a document and tell your lawyer all the details of the event to know what cases you should file. For instance, if the abuse happened years ago and you are ready to have the justice you deserve, the Adult Survivors Act is created for the victims that needed time before speaking up and suing the abuser for the harassment they’ve done.
Write Down a List of Questions
Of course, you are going to have plenty of questions that you want to ask of your potential new attorney, but in the moment it is easy to forget what you wanted to ask. In the days leading up to your consultation, make notes for yourself of any questions that come to mind so that you can be sure that you get all of the answers that you need.
Coming into your initial consultation prepared will make you feel more comfortable and will get your relationship with your new attorney off to a great start. The amount of time you spend preparing helps your attorney work more efficiently to get you the best possible outcome.