Five Things to Ask an Attorney During Your First Consultation

It is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or even uncertain about what to ask during the first meeting with an attorney. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of stress involved is to fully prepare for a first meeting with an attorney. You should understand the important questions that you should ask an attorney during a first consultation. This article will list five important questions that all individuals should ask during a first meeting with a lawyer.

Question #1: What are the Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Case?

An attorney who is well versed in the areas of law applicable to your case should be able to identify the issues that are central to your case as well as problems that are likely to arise. Additionally, an experienced attorney will also be aware of strategies that can potentially be used to overcome these cases. A lawyer who has familiarity with your type of case should also be able to predict the most likely outcome of your case. While the lawyer can likely predict the chances that  a case resolves in a certain manner, most attorneys are unlikely to promise a specific outcome or particular amount of compensation that will be awarded.

Question #2: What are the Costs of Pursuing Your Case?

A person’s attorney should provide an approximate idea of what the reasonable fees and costs will be to handle a case. Many times, a person can discover the attorney’s hourly rates by obtaining a copy of the lawyer’s standard fee agreement. Some attorneys will try to ask more from clients than is reasonable. Clients, however, should be just as wary of attorneys whose charges are suspiciously low.

Question #3: How Long Will it Take for Your Case to Resolve?

Even the most experienced attorney will likely not be able to make any guarantees about exactly how long it will take for your case to resolve. A seasoned lawyer, however, should be able to provide an idea about approximately how long your case should take to resolve based on how long it took similar cases to resolve in the past.

Question #4: Who Else Will be Working on the Case?

It is important to ask if any other attorneys will be working on a case, which is a common practice in larger law firms. As a result, it is important to ask if the attorney who a person first meets with will be the same lawyer who handles the majority of the case.

Question #5: How Often Will the Lawyer be Available to Provide Assistance?

It is critical to ask about a lawyer’s office hours and general availability. While a client should not expect a lawyer to be available any time of night or day throughout the proceedings of a case, it is important to determine if the attorney has the time necessary to fully dedicate him or herself to your case.

How a Skilled Attorney can Help You

By obtaining the assistance of a skilled attorney, you can make sure that your case resolves in the best possible manner. Do not hesitate to contact Federal Criminal Law Center today to obtain the assistance that you need.