A legal consultation in Tennessee is essentially an initial meeting between a person who is seeking legal representation and an attorney that is seeking to acquire a client. As such, the overall purpose of an attorney consultation is to discuss a particular legal issue that a person is facing while an attorney determines whether or not they will extend them legal services.
In an initial consultation with a lawyer in Tennessee, the legal issues discussed may cover a variety of different legal matters, 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 legal consultations will generally always take place prior to a person actually hiring an attorney to take on their case. As such, no actual attorney-client relationship was established at an initial consultation.
In other words, an attorney agreeing to meet with a prospective client and perform a legal consultation does not mean the attorney has accepted that person as their client. An attorney formally accepts a client once they offer them a fee agreement that outlines the scope of their representation, and the client signs and pays for the services.
What to Expect at the Initial Consultation with an Attorney?
During a legal consultation in Tennessee, the individual seeking to find an attorney will most often discuss the details of their specific case. This discussion may include the prospective client presenting facts and asking questions regarding their legal issues.
During the consultation, an attorney may provide general legal advice to the prospective client. This legal advice may also include a legal road map as to how the attorney would professionally handle the legal issue(s).
In general, a legal consultation will last around thirty minutes, but some consultations can last for a longer or shorter period of time depending on whether or not the issues being presented are complex. Because of the shortness of an initial consultation, it is important to come fully prepared.
Will My Legal Consultation Be Confidential?
In short, yes, all legal consultations that occur in Tennessee are confidential. Specifically, in Tennessee, the attorney-client confidentiality rule is governed by Rule 1.6 of the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct. This is based on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
As mentioned above, although an initial consultation in Tennessee does not create an attorney-client relationship for the purposes of an attorney continuing to represent an individual, confidentiality is still extended to people who engage in a legal consultation. That means a legal consultation has confidentiality privileges similar to that of an actual attorney-client relationship being created.
Knowing that a legal consultation is confidential, it is important to confidently communicate all of the details of your case. This includes any and all facts or evidence that you may believe to be harmful to your case.
Once again, without all of the relevant information being provided to the attorney, they may not be able to provide an accurate estimate as to the cost of your case or the likelihood that your case will be successful. As such, it is in your best interest to be totally transparent from the get-go.
What to Prepare for a Lawyer Consultation?
When preparing for a lawyer consultation, you should gather any and all documents and evidence that you believe to be relevant to your particular case, including:
- Copies of any and all relevant agreements, contracts, or receipts;
- A copy of any and all evidence that describes any personal or property damages that you may have suffered, such as medical bills, hospital costs, quotes for repairs, or other documents evidencing financial damages;
- Any and all documents regarding yourself, such as identifying documents, work information, bank information, or personal information relevant to the case.
Although relevancy is mentioned above, it is important to let an attorney decide what information is relevant to your case. This means that you should not choose to withhold any information during a consultation. As a general rule, it is always better to provide an attorney with too much information rather than too little information.
Sufficient information will allow an attorney to be able to properly outline their legal strategy for your case, and be able to properly quote you regarding how much they believe your case may cost.
What Are Some Questions to Ask During a Lawyer Consultation?
When preparing for an initial consultation with an attorney, you may also wish to create a list of questions that you want an attorney to answer regarding your specific case and their prospective representation.
For example, you may wish to ask questions about the attorney’s background and qualifications, such as their education, how many years they have been licensed, and their past legal experiences.
Other questions that you may wish to ask may include the attorney’s proposed legal strategy for your case, as well as how your case will be managed. In other words, will they manage the day-by-day management of your case, or do they have support staff that will handle that.
It is also important to discuss the attorney’s billing and fee structures because, at the end of the day, if you cannot afford the attorney, then they are likely not the right fit for your case. Additionally, you don’t want to be surprised by any future fees as they work on your case.
Are Lawyer Consultations Free?
As far as whether or not a lawyer consultation is free in Tennessee, that will be dependent on certain factors. There are some attorneys that offer free initial legal consultations as a means of attracting prospective clients.
However, this means that the attorney is taking time out of their schedule to meet with a client for free. In other words, that is time that they could have otherwise been working on one of their other cases where they could have been billing.
As such, most attorneys will at least charge a nominal consultation fee, such as $50. In some cases, an attorney may even bill at their normal hourly rate at an initial consultation. This is especially true in more populous cities and expensive markets. As such, it is essential to inquire beforehand as to the cost of a legal consultation.
How Much Is an Attorney in Tennessee?
As far as how much an attorney in Tennessee will cost, the total cost of an attorney will be based on a variety of factors, such as the amount of experience that the attorney has in handling similar cases, and their reputation in the legal community.
Additionally, the complexity of the case will also play a major role in the total cost of an attorney. A Tennessee 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 in Tennessee will typically range from $150 per hour to more than $500 per hour. However, as mentioned above, an attorney may also utilize support staff to handle the day to day management of a case. Support staff may bill as little as $50 or less per hour.
Once again, hourly fees will vary widely based on the market that the legal issue is happening in, with larger markets such as Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, or Chattanooga likely demanding higher hourly fees than smaller towns.
Should I Contact an Attorney and Schedule a Legal Consultation?
You may be having a legal issue that you believe would benefit from representation from a local attorney in Tennessee. In that case, it is in your best interests to set up a legal consultation. At an initial legal consultation in Tennessee, it is important to be thoroughly prepared.
This means you should gather any and all facts and evidence which may impact or be relevant to your case. Further, you should also bring a list of questions that you want answered during the meeting.
An experienced attorney in Tennessee will be able to help you determine your best course of legal action. An attorney may be able to help you negotiate a resolution to your issue, or initiate a civil lawsuit on your behalf. Finally, an attorney will also be able to represent you in court as needed.
