- It is helpful for you to prepare and bring with you:
- A chronological history of significant events/issues leading up to the current time;
- An overview of your financial profile (assets/debts/income for each of you, how they are titled and approximately what they are worth it does not have to be perfected but a big picture helps to provide a good consult and use our time most efficiently);
- An outline of your questions, concerns, interests and goals ( to include what you would like to get out of the consult);
- Any draft settlement agreement, prior signed agreement, and court orders (if applicable); and
- The name and contact information of your spouses attorney (if available to you).
- The client should allow plenty of time (a thirty minute meet and greet is not likely to be sufficient to address all that is needed).
- The more that you can do to organize your thoughts and preparation in writing neatly in advance, the attorney can then review the intake quickly, rather than take it all in verbally, and provide more targeted feedback relating to your needs.
- Read the attorneys website in advance it may help to better prepare you for the attorney consultation.
- Ask if there is additional reading that may be helpful prior to attending the consultation.
- Understand that a consult does not mean that the attorney has agreed to represent you; it is an opportunity to provide the attorney with the facts of the situation and for the attorney to provide you with legal advice.
- Be clear about the fee/payment requirement for the consult.
- Bring a notebook to take notes so that you can retain more of the information after the consultation.
Scott says
I like that you suggest to have your thoughts organized and prepared before going in for a meeting with your divorce attorney. One way that I have found is useful when remembering key things is to close my eyes and envision what happened in my mind. Then, as you remember what exactly happened you should write that down. Eventually, as you do that for each main event, you’ll have a good list of things to talk about.