Your first meeting with a lawyer is crucial. This is what they call the ‘initial consultation.’ It is vital that you know what to do and how to prepare yourself. This is going to be your first meeting with the lawyer and this can help you decide if he or she is going to be the person that you would want to work with. So here are seven of the most helpful tips that you can do before you meet with a Houston custody lawyer.
Write Down Your Questions.
Before the meeting, it is important that you write down your questions, just as you would do before going to a doctor. You can bring your notepad with you so you can also take down notes. Pen down your questions and leave a space between them to write down your lawyers’ answers.
Gather and Keep Important Documents
You have to gather all the necessary documents that you think can help you win the case. This would include anything that has already been filed with the court that is related to child custody. And even if you do not have court papers yet, you may still have on hand documents that can help, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, emails, cell phone text messages, audio recordings, videos, and so on.
Duplicate Every Document Shared
If you have documents that you need to share with your child custody lawyer, it is important that you produce a copy of it. And if you have to, give them the copies at the beginning of the consultation. Reputable attorneys will not accept your original documents. So instead of waiting for your lawyer to make copies for you, provide them instead. If you have a scanner at home, better scan the documents and send them by email. And also, you can fax these documents to his or her law office before the meeting.
Bring Someone You Trust
If you think you would feel more comfortable if you bring a trusted friend or relative with you during the initial consultation, then do so. But you have to remember that doing so will also risk the client-attorney confidentiality that you are after. If you need them for support, bring them along but you can have them wait in the lobby while you have a meeting with your lawyer.
Be Open And Share Relevant Information
Your child custody lawyer needs to know everything that would be relevant to winning the case. That is why if there is something that you want to say or ask, do not be afraid to do so. Everything that you tell your attorney will be kept private. This information will be confidential unless it will be required to share it to the court. But if you think that what you shared is too private to share, just tell your lawyer about it.
This meeting is going to tell you if you both will have a good attorney-client relationship. So take the tips with you to prepare yourself before this first consultation. Remember that your child custody lawyer would be the person who can find the best strategies for you to win this custody battle for your kids.