A free lawyer consultation is an essential step to securing competent legal representation. This is something you’ve got to get right because choosing the right lawyer is perhaps the most important decision you will make in your entire case. Choosing the wrong lawyer, by contrast, could result in disastrous consequences. Following are some valuable tips.
Your main purpose in scheduling a free consultation with a personal injury claim should be to determine whether your claim is viable and get some idea of how much money it is worth. You should also try to determine whether you and the lawyer are a good fit. The lawyer’s purpose in scheduling a consultation with you is similar. The lawyer wants to know whether your claim is strong enough to make it worth their time and effort to represent you. If they don’t think they can win your claim, they will refuse to represent you.
Before you go to your consultation, gather together all documentation that you believe the lawyer can use to evaluate your case. This might include:
Your rule should be–when in doubt, bring it with you.
The lawyer is bound by an ethical obligation of confidentiality concerning what you reveal during your consultation. Nevertheless, it can’t hurt to confirm that the lawyer will keep any information you provide during the consultation confidential. Once you’ve confirmed confidentiality, don’t be afraid to lay it on the line with your lawyer. Don’t speak any falsehoods, and don’t hold back any information the lawyer might need.
Almost every lawyer charges their attorney’s fees based on the contingency fee system. Nevertheless, it’s best to confirm this. If the lawyer seeks to charge you on a flat fee or billable hour basis, it probably means that they don’t believe they can win your case. Under the contingency fee system, your attorney’s fees equal a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation. If you win nothing, you pay nothing in legal fees. You should also ask the lawyer how they wish to handle case expenses (expert witness fees, for example).
Don’t even consider a lawyer who runs a buffet-style practice ranging from estate planning to criminal law to personal injury. It’s OK, however, if the lawyer concentrates on personal injury law but handles a variety of different personal injury cases. You do need to confirm that the lawyer has experience representing the type of case you are asserting. If you have a dog bite claim, for example, you need to know whether your lawyer has experience handling dog bite claims.
Has the lawyer (or their firm) brought home many large settlements or verdicts? Defendants fight hard to avoid paying large amounts of compensation. If your lawyer has repeatedly won large settlements or verdicts, they almost certainly know what they are doing.
For a personal injury claim, you might qualify for economic damages, non-economic damages such as emotional distress, and perhaps even punitive damages. Nevertheless, you need to be careful here. Being too confident or too precise in an answer should be a red flag. After all, no lawyer can guarantee you much of anything at this early stage of your claim.
Depending on the nature of your claim, you might find yourself unable to proceed without a personal injury lawyer. Free consultations are the norm among personal injury lawyers, so you shouldn’t have much trouble arranging one. The difficult part will be finding the right lawyer for you, given your circumstances and priorities. Contact Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers with any questions about choosing the right lawyer for your case.
For more information, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Parker & McConkie to schedule a free initial consultation today. We have 5 convenient locations in Utah, including Midvale, Salt Lake City, Ogden & Provo, UT. Clients can also visit our offices in Idaho Falls, ID & Rock Springs, WY.
We proudly serve Weber County, Utah County, Salt Lake County in Utah, Bonneville County in Idaho, Sweetwater County in Wyoming , and its surrounding areas:
Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers – Salt Lake City Office 466 S. 500 E., Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT 84102 (801) 851-1202 Hours: 24/7 Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers – Midvale Office 7090 Union Park Ave, #160, Midvale, UT 84047 (801) 845-0440 Hours: 24/7 Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers – Ogden Office 2510 S Washington Blvd, Suite 160, Ogden, UT 84401 (385) 402-8187 Hours: 24/7 Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers – Provo Office 37 E Center St, Suite 300, Provo, UT 84606 (801) 876-4107 Hours: 24/7 Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers – Rock Springs Office 531 N Front St, Rock Springs, WY 82901 (307) 205-7400 Hours: 24/7 Parker & McConkie Personal Injury Lawyers – Idaho Falls Office 2235 East 25th St. Suite #280, Idaho Falls, ID 83404 (208) 418-0633 Hours: 24/7
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