Eleven Steps Your Attorney Should Follow During The Initial Client Interview

Eleven Steps Your Attorney Should Follow During The Initial Client Interview

The first priority should be for the attorney to gather information so they can truly understand your problem. If your attorney spends most of the interview telling you about how great they are then they have not provided you any solutions. The first priority is to understand the problems you're facing.

You want a lawyer who will spend the time to educate potential clients about the magnitude of their problem and the risks of allowing it to persist. Look for a lawyer that follows these steps:

Step #1: Gives the client or potential client their undivided attention. This means no interruptions of any kind. If an attorney can't give you their full attention during an interview, then find someone who can. Your time is valuable. You want an attorney who is a good listener and makes you feel as if your most important person and issue he is dealing with at that time.

Step #2: The attorney makes an effort to build some rapport with you. You want an attorney that might begin the meeting by saying, "Tell me about yourself." This shows his concern and takes the focus off the attorney.

Step #3: Look for an attorney that puts himself in your position. In other words, an attorney that you can relate to and is sincerely sympathetic to the problems you're facing.

Step #4: You want an attorney that can identify your problems and the potential results, even if it is not the results you anticipate.

Step #5: The attorney should educate you about how the law effects the problems you're facing. It is always good if the attorney can provide you documents or articles that help educate you and explain the process. If allowed by the local bar's ethics rules, the attorney should offer, if asked, testimonials of former clients.

Step #6: Remember, don't buy what you can't understand. Your attorney should be able to explain things so that you understand them.

Step #7: You want an attorney that offers specific solutions to the dilemma or legal challenges you're facing. Be careful when only one solution or plan is offered.

Step #8: The attorney should explain how his fee works and give you an example of how it would work.

For example: "Mr. Smith, if we recover $100,000 for your personal injury claim, then the fees and expenses will be deducted from that amount. First, if the expenses total $5,000, then that amount will be deducted before any fee is taken. This way you're not paying a fee on the amount of expenses. Second, once the expenses are deducted you're left with $95,000. The attorney fee is deducted from this amount. Under our fee structure, since we settled your claim early on, then only 25% will be deducted. In this example your share of the recovery would be $71,250."

Step #9: The attorney should invite any remaining questions at the end of the interview.

Step #10: You want the attorney to summarize the risks and benefits of how they recommend you proceed. In other words, the attorney should point out to you the risks of not taking any legal action or hiring an attorney and the benefits of taking action and hiring an attorney.

Step #11: Most importantly - You want an attorney that does not pressure you and allows you to make a decision on whether to hire him. You should not feel like you're being sold a car or that you must rush to make a decision. Most of the time there is no hurry.