Many attorneys, like myself, offer free consultations. It is important to be prepared for your first consultation. To assist you in your preparation, I am going to tell you what the point of the free consultation is- What it is and what it is not. With everyone on the same page, we should be able to have more productive first encounters that prepare you and I for the road ahead.
First, the free consultation is about getting know each other. You may want a lawyer that speaks in Ye Olde English with infinite witty metaphors-- I'm not sure why, because no one will understand that lawyer, but that is beside the point- and I may not fit the bill without a top hat, coat tails, and Kentucky accent. The first meeting is to find out if we will like each other, work well together, and if my style meets your needs and wants.
Second, its helpful to bring documents that pertain to your case-especially if they are court documents. It is particularly helpful when you say, "Well see, I tried that, but the Judge said..." and I say, "Oh, you have been to Court, OK, let me have look at the Order (or motion, whatever). It is not so helpful when you say, "Well I think he said..." "I don't remember what he said" or even better, "I don't remember what he said, but we need to undo it cuz that there judge is an idiot" when I can't actually see what happened or was said. So, if you have paperwork, please bring it.
Third, be honest. I am trying to evaluate your case and what might need to be done in your case to get a favorable outcome. If you aren't honest, or the more usual, forget (or just don't) to tell me that one giant super important fact that makes or breaks your case until your on the witness stand- You have a real problem, and in some cases, I hope you brought extra t-shirts, toothpaste, undies, etc because you might be getting state sponsored free room and board soon, with three square meals! There is a very good chance you aren't even sure what is or isn't the important details; so just tell me everything and I can give you a real and fair evaluation of where you stand.
Here is what the free consultation is not- a time to gather as much free advice as possible and ask as many hypotheticals as you can think of to make sure you get your own paperwork right. "well, what if the sky turns red, and my left shoe falls off, then what do I do?" isn't going to get anywhere. Most of the time, I know when this is happening, and I just let it go and answer the questions- my time is already wasted at that point, and I am too nice. However, this is what we do all the time and have been trained to do-- I can't give you law school in 30 minutes as well as all the ins and outs of every day legal experience. So whatever I am telling you probably will not be sufficient for all of your possible developments, and many times, people just mess it up. Then, they are really upset when its gonna cost them double to fix the mess they have made. Sure, many people have the ability to do these things themselves- So do it yourself and stop asking us to give you free advice that will only be dangerous if not used correctly.
So, give me a call, and tell me what your problem is. Maybe we can chat by the fire and plan on world domination. We'll see. Until then!