CONSULTATIONS

I do not recommend hiring an attorney without a consultation.  You need to speak with the attorney and find out if you and this attorney “vibe well” and how this attorney works to see if it matches, or at least can complement, your style of work.

Consultations can be held in person, on the phone, via a video a call, or even on occasion consultations questions can be asked by email as needed.  There is no right or wrong way per say as long as the attorney is not violating the requirements of their state bar if any are applicable.

I no longer do in person consultations,  clients tell me they love that I do not do them because it saves them driving time.  Every so often a prospective client will ask for a video call and of course provided I am notified in advance I do this!

When it comes to consultations free is not always best.  There are plenty of attorneys who offer free consultations and plenty who charge, this in and of itself is not a determination of skill or value offered.

When I first started practicing immigration law I offered free consultations, however I quickly learned many individuals are not looking to hire an attorney and just want free advice.  I had to start guarding my time, time is a limited commodity, and I am not going to waste it.

Therefore, I started charging for consultations. At the end of the day if someone is not willing to spend $150.00 on a consultation, they are not going to purchase legal services, and this is the harsh reality. That being said, I was not comfortable with clients who hired me having paid for a consultation, so what I do is if after a consultation a client hires me, I consider the fee for the consultation to be the first payment toward my fee for representation, which makes the consultation free to those who hire me.

I also recommend prospective clients contact me first to describe their matter so I can ascertain if their case is even a case I would take on, as I do not like to waste others time either.  One last thing I do is offer consultations for those just looking for advice or a little guidance.  They are paying for that time and advice/guidance, and I am able to give them all the information they need or recommend a longer consultation if questions remain. 

Do not bring distractions to your consultation, regardless of the format you have it in, be able to be focused and get the most out of your consultation.

When you have a consultation with an attorney you should have a list of questions ready to ask, depending on the type of matter you have or what you are looking to achieve your questions will vary but generally I recommend these as a starting point:

1. Describe your matter and confirm the attorney handles your matter. [Again, please take the time to make sure they handle your type of matter before making an appointment but verify at the consultation too.]
2. Ask the attorney if you will have direct access to them throughout the process or if you will be directed regularly to support staff? [A lot of attorneys rarely communicate with Clients directly on a regular basis, as soon as you hire them you are passed to support staff. This is a matter of preference, but I think it is important to know upfront, so you are not surprised later. I give all my clients direct access with email, mobile phone, texts, and WhatsApp, and let them know I will reply during business hours.]
3. Ask the attorney who responds to emails sent to her/his email address? [A good number of attorneys have support staff checking and replying to emails, I have even had paralegals reply and not even identify themselves in the response.  Personally, this upsets me.  I want to know who is replying.  I also will never have support staff reply from my email address unless there is an emergency and they are only communicating that.]
4. Ask the attorney who will be doing all the various parts of work involved with what you are hiring him/her to do? [A lot of larger firms have the named partners do the intake, and speak of their experience, but once you hire them you are immediately assigned to an associate. Again, this is not inherently bad, but I believe knowing up front is key, and if an associate is going to be working on your case and not the attorney you meet with you should have an opportunity to meet them and say who they are before you hire the firm.  I have also come across a lot of firms that have paralegals and assistants doing the lion’s share of the work with the attorney reviewing it briefly.  Again, not inherently bad, but you should know this upfront, so you are clear who you are really hiring.  Personally, I do not pass legal work on to my support staff ever, this is just my preference.]
5. Ask the attorney to outline the entire process of working with them if you hire them. [I believe knowledge is key so you can know upfront what to expect and not just be blown away with the impressiveness of the consultation without considering what the representation will look like.]
6. Ask the attorney what their business hours are, and when you email/message/call what the response time is. [Attorneys all have different schedules, and you should know upfront when you can expect replies, sometimes delays happen but an attorney should respond as indicated. I have this in my representation agreement, so my clients are very aware.]
7. Ask the attorney if you have a concern, what is the process to address it and with who you would address it. [While we never want a concern to develop, the reality is they do, and you should be clear who/how you can address it should one arise.]
8. Ask the attorney what their experience is with your type of matter, and the results they have had. [Everyone does something for the first time, so someone without direct experience is not inherently bad, however you should know this before hiring an attorney. Also, keep in mind prior experience or success is not necessarily a determination of future success.]
9. Ask the attorney how long it will take for your matter to be handled. [When it comes to time frames depending on the type of case you have. With my work, I have a general time frame I can give clients which is from the day I have the last piece of evidence they provide to me that I have asked for I will have forms/applications/petitions ready for their review within two weeks. When they return the signed items to me along with the other items I need physically I will have it mailed/filed online within one week. A lot of my work is dependent on when Clients provide me with Evidence, complete my intake forms, etc.. so I let them know they can make it go faster by delivering faster.]
10. Ask the attorney what they charge, how billing/payments work, due dates, etc.. [It is vital you understand the costs involved.]
11. Ask the attorney if there are any other costs involved. [With immigration there are filing fees, third-party fees for things like medical exams, records, translations, pictures, and postage.]
12. Ask the attorney how you will ask questions during the process. [It is important to know this, I prefer client email or WhatsApp me for most questions. However, if it is something that requires an actual conversation, I give my clients links to book a quick call.]

This should give you a good starting point to add your own questions as well, there is no such thing as a bad question, and you should feel free to ask away.  Also, be sure to be honest with the attorneys you consult with, no one can really help you if you are not honest.