Legal consultations in Delaware, which may also be called attorney consultations, are meetings that potential clients have with lawyers to review their legal issues and determine whether the lawyer is a good fit for their needs. During the consultation, the lawyer also tries to determine whether or not they can represent the individual.
Before an individual consults with a lawyer, they should prepare for that meeting by getting together all of the information and documents they have related to their legal issue. For example, if an individual has a legal concern involving a legal separation or divorce, they should bring with them:
- A list of their assets and whose name they are in;
- A list of their debts and whose name they are in;
- Information about their children, if they have any;
- A list of the assets they would like to keep when the divorce is resolved;
- Any other evidence that may be important to the case.
If an individual has another type of legal concern, examples of documents they should bring to their legal consultation may include:
- Employment records;
- Police or accident reports;
- Property deeds;
- Other documents that show the damages the individual incurred.
If the attorney and the client determine that they will work together, they will both sign a representation agreement. This agreement will outline information regarding the representation of the client.
What Will Be Discussed at a Legal Consultation?
During a legal consultation, what the potential client and the lawyer will discuss will be unique to each meeting, as it will depend on the questions or issues the potential client is having. Generally, they will typically talk about the individual’s concern and how the attorney will charge for their services, such as by using a contingency fee, a flat fee, or an hourly fee arrangement.
During this meeting, the lawyer might provide the individual with legal advice. Typically, the information or advice provided during the meeting is not intended to establish a formal attorney-client relationship and is, instead, meant to be a sales pitch of sorts for the lawyer’s services.
Will My Legal Consultation Be Confidential?
The information that a potential client shares during their legal consultation will be treated as if it is privileged and confidential, as though attorney-client privilege had formed. Even if the potential client does not hire that particular lawyer, their information will be confidential.
This means that a potential client should tell the lawyer everything they can about their situation during this meeting, both good and bad. This is because a lawyer cannot properly evaluate a case or the potential steps forward without all of the information surrounding the issue.
What Are Some Questions to Ask During a Lawyer Consultation?
As noted above, each consultation will be uniquely based on the individual’s legal issue. This also means that the questions an individual may need to ask will also vary.
There are examples of general issues that a potential client may want to address, including:
- Experience with similar cases;
- The length of time the attorney has practiced in Delaware;
- The types of cases they typically handle;
- The potential strategy for the case;
- Available alternatives to going to court;
- Possible outcomes of the individual’s issue;
- The fee structure that the lawyer will use; and
- If there will be any additional costs associated with the representation.
Are Lawyer Consultations Free?
In some types of cases, or sometimes as a general practice, a lawyer will offer potential clients free consultations. If these are not offered, the potential client will be charged what is referred to as a consultation fee, which is typically between $50 and $250.
This fee, however, may vary for many different reasons, such as the complexity of the issue, the location where the lawyer practices, and the experience and knowledge of the lawyer. An individual should ask the attorney before attending the consultation whether or not there will be a fee for the meeting.
In addition, a consultation fee is also different from a retainer fee. This type of fee is used to secure representation from a specific lawyer to handle a certain legal issue or case.
Retainer fees are typically more costly than consultation fees. This is because the retainer fee is intended to cover the time and expenditures the lawyer will have to handle the case.
How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?
The cost of a lawyer’s services in the State of Delaware can vary greatly depending on numerous different factors, for example:
- What area of law the lawyer usually practices;
- The areas of law involved in the individual’s claim;
- The reputation the lawyer has in the area;
- The difficulty of resolving the issue; and
- The amount of time that is anticipated to be spent on handling the legal issue.
It may be helpful to review an example in order to help understand the difference between the different types of fees a lawyer may charge. Suppose that a lawyer represents clients on an hourly basis.
The lawyer may require clients to provide upfront retainer fees ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 or more. In contrast, if the lawyer takes a case on a contingency fee basis, the client will not be charged this hourly rate.
The lawyer will, instead, be paid a percentage of the settlement amount or damages awarded at the end of the case. This percentage is often around 30% but may be higher or lower depending on the agreement made between the parties.
It is also important to be aware that it is common for this percentage to increase if the case goes to trial instead of settling before trial, as the cost to resolve the issue will increase. The client may also be responsible for paying certain administrative or court fees that are necessary to keep the case moving throughout the process.
Because of these variables, it is important for an individual to ask exactly what they will be responsible for paying for and what their payments will cover.
Should I Contact an Attorney and Schedule a Legal Consultation?
If you are having a legal issue in Delaware, it is important to schedule a local attorney in Delaware as soon as you can. This is because there are deadlines for filing a case, called the statute of limitations.
A lawyer can hear your issue or concern, determine whether or not you may have a legal claim, and advise you on the possible ways to move forward. In some areas, multiple lawyers may offer free consultations.
This means that you can have meetings with more than one lawyer before deciding whom you would like to hire to help resolve your issue. Having an initial consultation will not fully resolve your issue but will give you a starting point.
One excellent resource for finding lawyers in your area is LegalMatch. With LegalMatch, you can submit your issue on the website, and you will receive responses in about 24 hours from lawyers who are ready to start work on your case.
You will receive information about the lawyer’s background information, fee information, and their practice area or areas. This is a great place to start your search for the right attorney for you.
