Guides to the law
Before Your First Meeting with a Lawyer
A sample guide, to show how a guide reads on the site: what to gather, write down and ask before a first meeting.
This is a sample page. It shows how one of her guides to the law will read on the site; the guide itself is still to be written.
Gather your papers
Bring every document that touches the matter, even the ones that seem minor. Put them in date order, oldest first, and keep the originals safe: copies are enough for a first meeting.
- Letters and emails you have sent or received
- Agreements, receipts and statements
- Any notice from a court or a government office
Write down what happened
A short timeline saves time. Note each event with its date, who was there and what was said. Keep to what you saw and heard; your lawyer will ask about the rest.
A good first meeting starts with a clear story, told in order.
Bring your questions
Write your questions down before you go, and the answers as you hear them. Ask what happens next, what it is likely to cost, and how long a matter like yours usually takes.
Nothing on this page is legal advice.