Lawyers with Free legal consultations

Updated February 14, 2022 Many lawsuit lawyers and law firms advertising lawyers with free consultations for prospective clients offer varying levels of service. Some consultations allow you to speak directly with a licensed attorney, while others may have you talk to someone at a call center reading from a script. Some consultations involve meeting with an attorney or one of their representatives in person at their place of business. Increasingly, however, consultations, including those offered by lawyers with free consultations, take place remotely by telephone, video conference, or text chat. Despite these differences, all free legal consultations, whether provided by a lawyer or a law firm, are intended to help both the attorney/law firm and the prospective client gauge whether the prospective client might have a case and, if so, how strong that case may be.

How to Prepare for a Free Consultation with a Lawyer or Law Firm

In order to make your free legal consultation as productive as possible, you should gather as much of the documentation and other information related to your situation as possible prior to your consultation. This will assist you in quickly and accurately answering questions. For example, if your potential case involves an automobile accident, it would be helpful to have any relevant police reports, repair-shop estimates, or medical records available for you to reference during your consultation. (However, if you do not have all of these things at the ready, that should not prevent you from seeking out a legal consultation, as records can be obtained at a later time. You should always be honest during your consultation about what records you currently possess and what they say.) It also might be helpful to sketch out a brief timeline of events prior to your legal consultation. For instance, if you believe you have developed cancer due to a medication you were taking, it would be helpful to determine prior to your consultation important dates and other related information, such as the dates that you started and stopped taking the medication, the dosage, and the dates of any change in dosage. Similarly, it would be helpful to have on hand the date that you first experienced symptoms as well as the dates of any visits to the doctor and diagnoses. Again, if you do not have all of this information readily available, it should not prevent you from contacting lawyers with free consultations, but gathering as much information as possible prior to your consultation will help the lawyer or law firm to make a more accurate determination as to the strength of your potential case.

What to Expect During the Consultation Itself

During the consultation, you will be asked a series of questions relating to your situation. The questions that you are asked will vary depending on the type of potential case. When answering these questions, it is essential that you be as truthful and accurate as possible. While it might sometimes be tempting to say what you think the other person wants to hear or to exaggerate your case to make it sound stronger, such fabrications—no matter how seemingly minor or inconsequential—will become a liability to your case down the road. In order to get the most accurate analysis of the strength of your case, it is very important that you be as honest and accurate during your free consultation as possible. Similarly, it is very important that, in addition to presenting information that may strengthen your case, you also share all negative facts and information, as well. Again, while it can be tempting to try to portray your situation only in the light most favorable to you and your potential case, evidence adverse to your case inevitably will come to light during the legal process, so it is important to be as clear and honest about your situation as possible from the very beginning—good and bad. If you do end up proceeding with your case, putting your lawyer or law firm on notice of any potential areas of weakness in advance  also will allow them to plan in advance, rather than being caught off guard by the opposition.

Is the Information I Share During My Free Legal Consultation Confidential?

Generally speaking, yes, the information that you share during a free consultation with a lawyer or law firm is confidential, even if you do not ultimately end up hiring the lawyer or law firm to represent you. The rule that requires lawsuit lawyers to keep their clients’ information secret is known as attorney-client privilege. Typically, the attorney-client privilege only takes effect when a client and an attorney execute a formal agreement saying that the attorney will represent the client. However, an exception exists where a prospective client is seeking legal advice or representation from an attorney and the prospective client reasonably believes that the information will remain confidential. This means that the attorney or law firm is required to keep the information you share during your free legal consultation secret, even if you do not end up hiring them to represent you.

Is There Any Obligation Following a Free Legal Consultation?

While it is always important to read any fine print relating to any offer for “free” anything, in general, neither you nor the attorney or law firm owes the other party any obligation following a free legal consultation. No matter the results of the consultation, you are not obligated to hire the lawyer or law firm to represent you, and the lawyer or law firm are not obligated to take your case.

Benefits of a Free Legal Consultation with a Lawyer or Law Firm

Taking the time to gather the relevant information and participate in a free legal consultation with a lawsuit lawyer or law firm will help you to determine whether or not you have a case and, if so, how strong your case may be. Because many jurisdictions place strict limits on the length of time you have to bring legal action following an incident, it is important not to delay in determining whether or not you have a case and whether or not you will file a lawsuit. Unfortunately, many people spend a lifetime regretting not at least exploring whether they had a valid legal claim while they still were able to do something about it. Participating in a free legal consultation with a lawsuit lawyer or law firm is a great way to get a professional opinion about whether or not you may have a case and whether that case is worth pursuing.