How to Work with Your Lawyer

These simple tips should help you develop a positive, productive relationship with your lawyer:

• Make sure you and your lawyer have the same goals.
• Give your attorney all the information and documents necessary to understand your case, including information that could be damaging to your case or may seem unimportant to you.
• Make sure you are comfortable with the attorney’s working style, such as whether you will be working with other people in the attorney’s office, or how the attorney prefers to communicate, such as by email, text messaging, phone, or in person, and how often to expect updates.
• Let the attorney know if you would like to receive copies of letters and documents prepared for your case.
• Make sure you have a clear picture of the expected timetable for your case and the steps involved in handling it. However, realize that it may not always be possible to predict the time required. If you are involved in a lawsuit, for example, the court’s schedule will influence how long your case will take.
• Make sure you understand and agree with the attorney’s billing practices.
• Communicate any questions or concerns to the attorney and listen to their responses.

However, problems could still arise. In such instances, help is available.