Your Role

From the first meeting on it is important that you provide me with all the information at your disposal. Every case begins with its facts and a thorough understanding of those facts is essential in developing a case strategy. In order for me to gain this understanding I need you to be open and forthcoming with me. By providing me a full narrative of the circumstance that brought you to my office we can move from fact gathering to analysis.

It is often difficult for people to completely open up about matters that may be distasteful or embarrassing to them. Remember that as a lawyer I am bound by solicitor-client confidentiality. What this means is that everything that you say to me stays between you and me unless you instruct me to divulge it to others. There are very few exceptions to this protection, basically if you tell me that you are going to physically harm another person I am obligated to tell the authorities.

It is also important that you know that I will not judge you or your actions, my job is to represent you not to judge you. With this in mind I hope that you will feel better about telling me the details of your situation so that we can build the best strategy possible.

Keep me Informed

Things can change for you as the case moves along so it is vital that you keep me informed. Without your cooperation it is impossible for me to be fully effective. It is important that you ask the question that you have and that your concerns are addressed in a timely manner. It is my personal policy to contact all my clients at least once a week to check in and provide them with a quick update. Do not feel embarrassed about asking questions I am your advisor and happy to answer your questions. Even if you are asking a question for the second time I realize that it is very important that you fully understand what is happening with your case.

First Meeting

Our first meeting is very important. It provides you with an opportunity to determine if you feel comfortable with me and also allows me to get a solid understanding of what your case is about and how we can approach it.

There are a number of things that you can do to make this meeting as productive as possible.

Bring to the meeting all the documents in your possession that relate to your case. Particularly important are any court documents, contracts, insurance papers etc. Myself or my assistant will provide you with a list of things to bring when you make the appointment. When in doubt bring it with you.

It is often very useful for me to see a timeline of how the case began. This timeline is basically a written account of what transpired leading to you requiring my help. Details are very important in this timeline make sure you include even the little detail.

It is important that you bring the names and if possible the addresses of all the parties and potential witnesses involved in the matter.

You may have a number of questions. Take the time to write them out as it is normal to forget your questions when we go through your case.