A legal consultation with a lawyer in New York is an opportunity for a person who is seeking legal representation to meet with an attorney who may take their case. The purpose of an attorney consultation is to discuss a person’s particular legal situation or legal issues.
A consultation with a lawyer in New York may cover a variety of different legal topics, including:
- Bankruptcy;
- Business and Corporate Law;
- Consumer Law;
- Criminal Law;
- Debts and Debt Collection;
- Employment and Labor Law;
- Family Law;
- Immigration Law;
- Insurance Law;
- Intellectual Property;
- Landlord–Tenant Law;
- Professional Malpractice;
- Personal Injury and Accidents;
- Public Benefits;
- Real Property Law;
- Wills, Trusts, and Estate Law; and
- Workers’ Compensation.
It is important to note that a legal consultation takes place before a person actually hires an attorney to take on their case. As such, an attorney does not actually represent an individual until the two parties execute a fee agreement regarding the attorney’s representation.
What Will be Discussed at a Legal Consultation?
During a legal consultation in New York, the person seeking legal representation will most often discuss the specific legal issues that are occurring. This conversation might include the prospective client explaining their specific situation, such as detailing the facts of their case.
Then, the attorney may provide general legal advice and a road map for how they would professionally handle the issue. The attorney may also help the individual understand the legal process and outline potential legal strategies.
In general, a legal consultation will last anywhere between fifteen minutes to more than one hour. Because of the short period of time, in order to get the most out of a legal consultation in New York, you should do some prep work beforehand.
This means that you should gather all documentation and evidence that you believe to be relevant to your case, including:
- Copies of any and all relevant contracts or agreements if there is a dispute as to a document;
- A compilation of any and all evidence that describes damages that you have suffered if the case involves a personal injury;
- Any and all documents regarding your personal finances, work documents, and other relevant information, such as school records, if the case involves a family dispute.
Importantly, you should let an attorney decide what information is relevant to your case, and not withhold information. It is always better to provide an attorney with too much information than too little information. This will allow the attorney to be able to properly outline their legal strategy for your case, including the cost of their representation.
It is also important to take notes before and during the consultation in order to not forget a question that you may have. Because this is a legal consultation, and it concerns legal matters, it is important to be absolutely honest in your retelling of the story and to not conceal any details or leave out any information.
Another important matter that will be discussed at almost every attorney consultation is whether or not the prospective attorney and prospective client are a good match for one another. In other words, the attorney and prospective client will discuss whether or not to create a working relationship by executing a contract for representation. As such, you should always be prepared to ask for details regarding the cost of the attorney’s representation.
Will My Legal Consultation Be Confidential?
In short, yes, all legal consultations that occur as a result of an individual seeking legal representation are confidential. Although the consultation does not create an attorney-client relationship for an attorney to continue representing an individual, confidentiality is still given, similar to if an attorney-client relationship had been created.
It is important to note that every attorney conducts their consultations differently. This means that there are some attorneys that treat the consultation as a sales pitch and give very little legal advice. On the other hand, some attorneys offer legal advice and guidance on the issues that the individual is facing. Importantly, an attorney’s legal advice doesn’t constitute their agreement to represent an individual.
Once again, because a legal consultation is confidential, everything a person communicates to an attorney will be privileged and confidential, as if the attorney-client relationship had already been established. Knowing this, it is important to confidently communicate all of the details of the case. This includes facts or evidence that a person may believe to be harmful to their case.
Without all of the relevant information communicated, an attorney cannot properly represent a client. Further, a New York lawyer can not provide an accurate estimate of the cost of the case and their representation. As such, it is in your best interest to be totally honest from the very start.
What Are Some Questions to Ask During a Lawyer Consultation?
Once again, a legal consultation in New York is a great chance to gather information regarding how your case would be handled. As such, you should not be afraid to ask questions regarding the scope of the lawyer’s representation and their opinion on your case.
Examples of common questions you should ask during a lawyer consultation in New York might include:
- Questions about the attorney’s qualifications, such as their education, legal experiences, and past cases that may share similarities with yours, etc.;
- Questions regarding the attorney’s proposed legal strategy for your case;
- Questions as to how the attorney will manage your case, such as if they will be the point of contact or if they employ support staff to handle communications and the day-to-day management of your case;
- Questions about the attorney’s fee structure and their estimate for the cost of your case;
- Questions about the likely outcome of your case.
Once again, it is important to not be afraid to ask very tough questions, such as whether or not the lawyer believes your case is viable or the chances of success. Further, you may also wish to inquire further into the history of the attorney, such as whether or not they have been sued for attorney malpractice or have been subjected to discipline.
Are Lawyer Consultations Free?
In short, it depends. There are many attorneys that offer free initial legal consultations in order to attract prospective clients. However, when an attorney takes time out of their schedule to meet with a client for free, that is time that they could have otherwise been working on another case and billing for their time.
As such, there are many attorneys that charge a nominal consultation fee. As such, it is essential to inquire beforehand as to the cost of a legal consultation. Some attorney consultations will even bill at their normal hourly rate, especially in more populous cities and expensive markets.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer?
As far as how much a New York lawyer will cost, the total cost of an attorney will be based on several different factors, including but not limited to:
- The amount of experience the attorney has in handling similar cases, including whether or not they are bar-certified;
- The complexity of the case being presented to the attorney;
- The average hourly rate for attorneys that handle similar cases in the community in which the case is being brought in.
A New York attorney will most commonly bill hourly. However, there are some cases that an attorney may handle for a one time flat fee. Attorney hourly fees will typically range from $100 per hour to more than $500 per hour.
As mentioned above, hourly fees will vary widely based on the market in which the legal issue is happening, with larger markets such as Buffalo, New York City, or Rochester likely demanding higher hourly fees than smaller towns.
Additionally, more experienced attorneys will often demand a higher hourly fee than less experienced attorneys. However, an experienced attorney will also often be able to handle complex legal issues in less time than a less experienced attorney.
Should I Contact a New York Attorney and Schedule a Legal Consultation?
As can be seen, there are numerous topics and legal matters that may be covered in an initial legal consultation in New York. As such, it is important to thoroughly prepare for the legal consultation beforehand. This means gathering any and all facts and evidence which may impact or be relevant to your case.
When initially meeting with an attorney in New York, it is important to be upfront and honest about all of the details of your case. Once again, confidentiality will be maintained. An experienced local attorney in New York will be able to help you determine your best course of legal action. Further, an attorney will also be able to represent you in court as needed.
