Meeting a lawyer? What to bring to the first consultation

What is an initial consultation with a lawyer?

An initial consultation is a first talk with a lawyer about your situation and whether you will work together. The ABA’s model rule calls you a prospective client while you talk ⁴.

The lawyer often needs some facts in that meeting to check for a conflict of interest and decide whether to take your case ⁴. Ask when you book whether it includes legal advice.

A consultation alone is not hiring. The scope of the work and the fee are set out when the work begins ¹.

What do you bring to any lawyer?

These seven items are common sense. We found no neutral page with one list for every case. A source is cited where one backs an item.

That is what to bring to a lawyer consultation: copies of the relevant documents, with your originals kept at home. Common sense: put them in date order in one folder, with a note on top saying what each is. For a video meeting, scan the documents first.

What else should you bring for your kind of problem?

Add the relevant documents for your problem to the seven above. Items marked “common sense” have no source behind them. Hurt in a car crash? See can you settle a car accident claim without a lawyer? In a family law matter such as divorce or child support, add your financial documents, covered in the next section.

What financial information will a lawyer ask for?

Lawyers differ, so ask the office what to bring when you book. If money is part of your problem, you may be asked about income, debts and bills.

A court form shows the kind of facts a family law lawyer may need. California’s Income and Expense Declaration, form FL-150, has a page on child support and asks about spousal support, also known as alimony ²³²⁸. Your state’s form may differ.

Only the first two rows come from the form’s instructions ²³. The rest is common sense.

What should you ask the lawyer?

The first three questions come from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ⁷. Then come four more that are common sense, with no source behind them. Also ask about timing and who will handle your case.

The CFPB also says to check the lawyer is in good standing with your state bar ⁷.

Is a lawyer consultation free? What does it cost?

Some lawyers offer a free consultation, and others charge ^11121315. The CFPB says some attorneys offer free services or a reduced fee, and to ask about up-front fees ⁷. So ask when you book, and ask whether a free consultation covers your whole question or only whether the lawyer will take your case.

Bar referral services show how much it varies. Each sets its own terms, up to 30 minutes in these examples ^1112131415.

A free consultation can depend on your income or your kind of case. Florida’s modest means panel gives a free initial 30-minute consultation to people who qualify ¹². In New York City, the fee is $35 or free, depending on the type of case ¹¹.

How do lawyers charge after that?

• Hourly. You pay for the lawyer’s time at a set rate.
• Flat fee. One set price for defined work. California’s law names hourly rates and flat fees among the ways a fee can be set ³.
• Contingency. The lawyer takes a percentage of what you recover. The ABA’s model rule says this contingency fee agreement must be in writing, signed by you, and state the percentages for settlement, trial and appeal ¹.

Ask which one applies, and whether you owe anything if you lose ⁷. Ask too whether case costs come out before or after the percentage is figured. The ABA’s model rule says the agreement should say ¹.

Should the fee terms be in writing?

The ABA’s model rule says the scope of the work and the basis or rate of the fee and expenses should be communicated to you, preferably in writing ¹. That should happen before the work starts or within a reasonable time after ¹.

A contingency fee must be in writing, signed by you ¹.

Each state adopts its own version of the rule, and some are stricter than the ABA’s. Your state bar can tell you yours.

California requires a written contract when the expected total cost, with fees, tops $1,000. It must state the basis of pay, the general nature of the services and each side’s duties ³.

Is what you tell a lawyer kept private?

Under the ABA’s model rule, a person who consults a lawyer about possibly forming a client-lawyer relationship is a prospective client ⁴.

Even if no relationship follows, the lawyer may not use or reveal what was learned, except as the rule would permit for a former client ⁴.

Each state adopts its own version. Check your state bar.

Common sense: share what the lawyer needs to judge your case, and ask before you email private details to a lawyer you haven’t met.

Can you bring a friend or family member to a lawyer consultation?

You can ask, but offices set their own rules, so call first. A friend can help you take notes. The catch is privacy: another person in the room may affect whether your talk stays confidential, and the rules differ by state.

Attorney-client privilege is a rule of evidence, and each state writes its own. Texas’s rule lets a client refuse to disclose, and stop others from disclosing, confidential communications made to get legal services ²¹. It counts a communication as confidential if it is not meant to be disclosed to third persons, except where disclosure furthers the legal services or is reasonably necessary to pass it on ²¹.

California words it differently: its Evidence Code still treats a talk as confidential when the only third persons are those present to further the client’s interest in the consultation, or those to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary ²⁰. The lawyer’s duty not to reveal what you shared, covered above, also varies by state. Whether your friend’s presence matters is a question for your lawyer, under your state’s law.

If a disability affects how you communicate, say so when you book. Federal Americans with Disabilities Act rules treat a lawyer’s office as a place of public accommodation ²². It must provide aids such as a qualified interpreter where needed for effective communication, unless that would fundamentally change its services or cause undue burden. It may not require you to bring someone to interpret ²².

What if a lawyer won’t take your case?

One reason a lawyer may say no is a conflict of interest, which has nothing to do with how strong your case is. The ABA’s model rule bars a lawyer from representing a client when that is directly adverse to another current client, unless conditions are met, including each client’s informed consent ²⁵.

The ABA’s comments say a lawyer deciding whether to take a matter should limit the first talk to the information that reasonably appears necessary for that decision. If there is a conflict or another reason not to act, the lawyer should tell you or decline ⁴.

Where can you get free or low-cost help?

The rule for LSC-funded groups sets income limits that may not top 125% of the federal poverty guidelines ².

LSC’s table, effective January 26, 2026, sets 125% at $19,950 a year for one person and $41,250 for four in the 48 states and DC. Alaska and Hawaii have higher figures ⁵. Some people above the limit can still qualify under exceptions ²⁵. Programs set their own priorities ¹⁰, so call and ask.

When is it time to talk to a lawyer?

If a document such as a lawsuit has a deadline, don’t wait. Respond by the date given, on your own or through a lawyer ⁸. A debt collector’s letter is one case: see what it means.

For immigration matters, only certain people can represent you before USCIS ⁹.

If money, your home, your job or your status is at stake, a first meeting can show where you stand. If cost is the worry, use the help above. Not sure a letter is urgent? See which legal letters can’t wait.

Talk it through with Scribe

Tell Scribe what happened and what documents you have. It helps you understand your options in plain English and writes a summary you can share with a lawyer. Talking with Scribe is free.

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Scribe is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. AI can make mistakes. Check important details, and talk to a lawyer before you act.

Common questions

Sources

1. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5, Fees · American Bar Association
2. 45 CFR 1611.3, Financial eligibility policies · Legal Services Corporation (eCFR)
3. California Business and Professions Code section 6148 · California Business and Professions Code
4. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.18, Duties to Prospective Client · American Bar Association · Comment on Rule 1.18
5. Income Level for Individuals Eligible for Assistance, Federal Register vol. 91, no. 16, January 26, 2026 (effective that date) · Legal Services Corporation
6. Get legal help · Legal Services Corporation
7. How can I find a lawyer? · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
8. What should I do when a debt collector sues me? · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
9. Find legal services · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
10. Overview of legal services statewide websites · LawHelp.org (Pro Bono Net)
11. Request a lawyer · New York City Bar
12. Elderly and low fee referral panels · The Florida Bar
13. Lawyer Referral Service · Idaho State Bar
14. Lawyer Referral and Information Service · State Bar of Wisconsin
15. Lawyer Referral Service · State Bar of Nevada
16. Receiving legal assistance · University of Minnesota Law School
17. Wills · Georgia.gov
18. Self-Represented Litigants (Eviction Courthouse Project) · Peoria County, Illinois
19. Filing a claim with another driver’s insurer · Illinois Department of Insurance
20. California Evidence Code section 952 (confidential communication between client and lawyer) · California Legislative Information
21. Texas Rules of Evidence, Rule 503, Lawyer–Client Privilege (amendments effective July 2, 2026) · Texas Judicial Branch
22. 28 CFR 36.303, Auxiliary aids and services · U.S. Department of Justice (eCFR) · 28 CFR 36.104, Definitions (place of public accommodation)
23. Income and Expense Declaration, form FL-150 · Judicial Council of California
24. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.2, Scope of Representation and Allocation of Authority · American Bar Association
25. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.7, Conflict of Interest: Current Clients · American Bar Association
26. California Penal Code section 632 · California Legislative Information
27. 18 U.S. Code section 2511, Interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications prohibited (2023 edition) · U.S. Government Publishing Office
28. Spousal support · California Courts Self-Help Center