What should I expect during a free consultation with a lawyer?


lawyer
danny asked:


I scheduled an appointment for a free consultation with a lawyer because I need legal advice for this situation I’m in. I definitely don’t have the money to hire an attorney but would appreciate the advice of one. Am I free to tell him everything and not be pressured into hiring him?

This entry was posted on Monday, April 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Law & Ethics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “What should I expect during a free consultation with a lawyer?”

  1. Robby H Says:

    yes, you can tell him anything you want but don’t expect any results till you pay him………………………..

  2. Bullwinkle Says:

    Absoluut ja.

  3. why am I here Says:

    Ja-u kan uw probleem samenvatten en hij kan u een naakt beenderenantwoord, enkel vermelding geven u voor een advocaat winkelt.

  4. Paul in San Diego Says:

    Si usted es afortunado, que le permitirá decirle todo sobre el caso y darle algún tipo de asesoramiento específico sobre la manera de proceder. Es ética y legalmente obligados a mantener todo lo que le dicen confidencial (privilegio abogado-cliente). Pero, él no está obligado a proporcionar ningún tipo de asesoramiento. Y, por lo general una consulta gratuita, dará lugar a un abogado que le dice lo que su curso general de acción debe ser. Asimismo, se dan cuenta de que no se puede citar al respecto el abogado en cualquier momento pasar a través de su caso a menos que mantener él.

  5. Jack Says:

    It's not going to be a free-advies-A-Thon. U besteedt een totaal van ongeveer dertig minuten met de advocaat. Een goeie vragen u vragen over wat er gebeurd is. Als je schuldig bent, moet je niet vertellen hem. Niet omdat hij iemand anders kan vertellen, maar hij kan niet vertegenwoordigen bij het gerecht dat je onschuldig als je wordt toegelaten tot de schuldigen. Net antwoord op zijn vragen, en hij zal u vertellen of hij u kan helpen of niet. Elke ethische advocaat zal niet druk je in het huren van hem. Maar ik zou niet verwachten dat een heleboel goede gratis advies van de situatie. Succes.

  6. Common Says:

    Here’s what you should generally expect:

    First, the lawyer will want to hear why you’re seeking to hire an attorney. Be prepared to give him the short version of the facts (ie, I loaned money to my aunt, who is now refusing to pay it back). Do your best to stay away from extraneous info. for the time being - there will be plenty of time later if you hire him to explain how your aunt hates you for backing over her cat later. Just the facts for now to let the lawyer know what’s going on.

    Second, the lawyer will outline your options. Maybe he thinks you could get the situation resolved with a letter. Maybe you should be filing in state court as opposed to federal court, or vice versa. Maybe you need to be talking to the construction board. He’ll go over your options with you and explain the pros and cons of each.

    Third, he will give you a quick outline of what you can expect if you decide to go in a certain direction. For instance, he might tell you, “if you want to sue over this, you can expect that it will be a long process involving lots of discovery and expert witnesses.”

    Fourth, he will also likely try and assess your willingness to follow through. Nothing is more frustrating than a client who wants to “quit” halfway through a case because its gotten frustrating.

    Fifth, he should discuss the terms of his employment with you. How much he charges. Whether or not your case would be eligible for a contingent fee arrangement (be sure to ask). What the terms of his contract are. Et cetera.

    Finally, under no circumstances should you feel pressured. If you need an attorney, you want to find one that you think you can work with. If you feel pressured, then find someone else. In my experience, the best attorneys are the ones that take the low-key approach.

    Good luck.

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