On the phone many first-time callers will inquire as to what items to bring. Obviously the answer depends largely on the needs of the client.
If I am meeting as an Elder Law Attorney, I expect to see a complete picture of the financial and medical needs of the client. That means: bring copies of the most recent bank statements, investment account statements, and Social Security Statements; bring some knowledge of the persons physical abilities and limitations, and most of all, bring honesty.
The Elder Law Attorney must have a complete and ACCURATE picture of the clients needs as well as resources. Sometimes a client may not want to disclose all assets, which can be a real hindrance to qualifying for Medicaid. If the true picture is known the attorney's advice will be remarkably different from that given on limited facts.
When I meet with clients in divorce situations as a Family Law Attorney, I expect to see a complete picture of the Marital Difficulties, Financial Assets, Financial Needs and family needs of the client. This means you should bring: at least 3 months of Bank Statements and Credit Card statements, for both parties if possible; bring a list of all Real Property owned by the parties, whether jointly owned or not (sometimes people are confused as to what constitutes Marital Property under Florida Law); a list of IMPORTANT Personal possessions, and as before, HONESTY.
A Family Law attorney cannot fix all the problems and if you bring a jaded 1/2 picture of the issues, your attorney may miss important points of advice. If you believe your spouse is unreasonable in negotiations, the Specialist in Family law may make different recommendations. So many times people think a previously unreasonable spouse will want to "work things out for the children" once the divorce is filed. Most times the stress of a litigation brings out the worst character traits in people, not the most altruistic.
Finally, bring a method of payment. If an attorney offers a Free Consultation take it, but most good attorneys do not give their advice away during Free Consulations. Better to pay a fee and get real advice and counsel than to take the Free Consultation only to spend an hour telling the attorney of the problem and have no idea of the attorney's opinion at the end. My office takes Cash, Checks and most major Credit Cards. A Consultation normally lasts TWO hours but I typically charge for one hour of time. Flat Fee Services are available as well.
Call me for an appointment, 407-645-3297 or visit my website at www.aubreylaw.com
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