What Happens During An Initial Consultation?
If you recently suffered an auto accident, in addition to all the stresses that brings, you are probably feeling overwhelmed about next steps, like whether to hire an injury lawyer or auto accident attorney, whether your claim is even legitimate, and if so, how to find the right attorney. Those questions are what an initial consultation is designed to answer.
This article will explain what you can expect during an initial consultation, and how to get maximum benefit from it.
The Initial Consultation
An initial consultation is the first meeting between you and a potential attorney, and is designed to help you and the attorney decide if you want to move forward as attorney and client. You might consult with more than one attorney before you make your final decision.
An initial consultation enables you to discuss the facts of your case with an attorney. You will also be able to ask them questions about your case, including how they would address different issues of your case. Consider it a mutual fishing expedition — you are interviewing the attorney, and the attorney is interviewing you. Do they specialize in your type of case? Do your personalities mesh? What is your gut reaction?
What You’ll Talk About
As the attorney-client relationship is yet to be agreed to, initial consultations are limited in scope. However, the auto accident attorney will listen to the details of your case. Based on the law and the information you provide, the attorney will let you know if your claim is legitimate, and if an attorney is even required. (This determination is typically based on the likely damages they think you can recover versus the cost of hiring an attorney.) Furthermore, the attorney will let you know if they handle your type of case or if you need to talk to another attorney. (At this point, they might give you a referral.) Finally, the initial consultation includes an overview of attorney fees, including the payment arrangement (i.e., contingency, flat fee, or hourly).
If, during the consultation, you don’t feel the attorney is the right fit, you can simply walk away and pursue other options. However, if you are convinced the attorney is the right fit for your case, you will sign an engagement agreement to formally acknowledge the relationship.
Be Prepared
It doesn’t just work for Boy Scouts. You need to be prepared to get the most out of an initial consultation. There are two primary goals that you and the attorney will want to accomplish:
• To learn more about your case.
• To determine if this attorney is the right fit.
To help the attorney learn more about your case, you’ll need to provide relevant documents. These might include contracts (if your claim arose from a contract dispute, bring copies of the contract and any documents explaining the contract); relevant police or accident reports; deeds to property (if your claim involves a property dispute, bring a copy of the deed or any documents relating to the property); other documents (provide other documents that show any evidence of damages, such as medical records or expenses, or any warranties or communication created by the party you are trying to sue). Finally, be prepared to answer any questions the attorney might raise about your circumstances.
Pasco Attorneys You Can Talk To
Accidents happen, and when they do, you and your family will have questions about your rights and their impact on your life. If you’ve been injured in an accident, the auto accident attorneys at Doran, Beam & Farrell understand your concerns and are ready to answer any question or address any concerns that you may have about your claim.
To schedule a FREE case evaluation, call or text the Pasco attorneys at (727) 846-1000 or complete our online contact form at pascoinjurylaw.com/contact-us.
