After you select a personal injury lawyer to represent you, it is always a good idea to sit down with them to make sure that they will be a good fit for both you and your case. First thing that you need to realize is that you first appointment should be more like a consultation. You can the lawyer should be well dressed and be on time for your appointment. You need to be very polite and courteous to the lawyer. You need to try really hard to impress the lawyer, keep in mind that they can choose not to represent you and your case as quick as you can choose to not have them represent you.
You should next focus on allowing the lawyer to get to know you as a person, not just an accident victim. Give him or her sufficient background information and info about your personal and professional life. You can also tell them a little about your family if you feel comfortable doing so.
When you first sit down, don’t get right to the facts about your case, although this might be very tempting. If at all possible, let the lawyer guide the discussion. They know exactly what they are looking for in terms of facts and things they need to know about the case to determine if it will be a good case. In order to help the conversation, be prepared with the right notes, documents, questionnaires, and your own list of questions that you wish to know. This will help the meeting go much smoother.
Depending on how prepared you are in your first meeting with your personal injury lawyer, your lawyer might be able to give you some advice on how you should proceed with your case. Many times, time is of the essence. Most of the time, this happens when businesses are involved. If this is the case, you need to file a response within a few days. When you walk out of your first meeting with your lawyer, you should walk out of the meeting feeling confident that you have selected a good representative and know where this case is going to go in the next few weeks.
If the lawyer that you met with is planning on taking your case, you should be informed before you leave the initial meeting, what he will be charging you for his services. Your lawyer should take quite a bit of time to explain everything you do regarding the charges that you will incur for this case. You might also be required to pay a deposit up front, however, most lawyers do not do this.
Whatever you do, you need to make sure that you find out exactly what will happen next. You should also make sure to follow through with the assignments that have been assigned to you. Each of these things will help your first visit with your personal injury lawyer go more smoothly and help you get your feet on the ground with your case.