Most people arrive at their first attorney meeting anxious — unsure what to bring, what to say, and whether they even have a case. That is entirely normal. A good first meeting is structured to remove that uncertainty, not add to it. Here is exactly how ours works.
Before you arrive: what to bring
Gather anything related to your matter: contracts, correspondence, court papers, police reports, or even a simple timeline of events. Don't worry about organizing it perfectly — we'd rather see everything than have you filter out the document that turns out to matter most. A chronological list of what happened, with dates, is worth its weight in gold.
The first fifteen minutes: your story
We start by listening. You'll tell us what happened in your own words, without interruption, while we take notes. Many clients apologize for rambling here — please don't. Details that seem irrelevant to you often determine strategy for us: who said what, when, and in front of whom.
The next fifteen minutes: our assessment
Then we give you our honest read — the strengths of your position, the weaknesses, the likely paths, and the realistic costs of each. This is also where we'll tell you if you don't need a lawyer at all. Roughly one in five consultations ends with free practical advice and no engagement, and we're proud of that.
Questions worth asking us
Use the meeting to interview us, too. Ask who will handle your matter day to day, how quickly we return calls, what the fee structure looks like in writing, and what the next three steps would be if you proceed. Clear answers to those four questions predict a smooth engagement better than anything else.
You'll leave with a written summary and a fee quote — no obligation, no pressure. The decision, and the timing, stays entirely yours.
