Preparing for Your First Legal Consultation

A first consultation is often billed by the hour. The better prepared you arrive, the more value you get. Here is a general preparation that applies to most matters.

Summarise on one page

Write a factual timeline: dates, people involved, what happened, and what you are trying to achieve. One page is enough. It saves paying a lawyer to reconstruct your story.

Gather your documents

• Contracts, leases, signed agreements
• Relevant correspondence (emails, texts, letters)
• Official documents received (demand letters, court filings, notices)
• Invoices, statements or proof of payment
• Photos or reports, if applicable

Note your questions and your limits

Prepare three priority questions and be clear about your budget and timelines. A good lawyer will also tell you what is not realistic — useful to hear early.

Watch out for deadlines

Many claims are subject to strict limitation periods, and some are short. If you have received an official document with a date on it, mention it at first contact rather than at the end of the meeting.

Do not send confidential information through a form or unsecured email before you have retained the firm. MTLPages is a directory and gives no legal advice.