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Meeting a lawyer? What to bring to the first consultation

A plain checklist of what to bring to a lawyer consultation, by kind of problem, plus what it costs and where free help is.

Kyle MooreCo-founder · Georgia trial attorney

The short answer

Bring photo ID, every letter or notice with its envelope, your deadline, a one-page timeline, the other side’s details, money figures and your questions. Add documents that fit your problem. Some lawyers offer a free consultation, but terms vary, so ask before you book 71112. What you say is generally confidential even if you don’t hire the lawyer 4. Free help exists 610.

Key points

  1. Bring one core set of documents, then add what fits your problem. Copies are fine; keep the originals 891718.
  2. A free consultation is not promised. The bar referral services we read range from free to $45 for 30 minutes 111215. Ask before you book.
  3. Ask for the fee terms in writing. The ABA’s model rule says “preferably in writing,” and California, for one, requires it above $1,000 13.

What is an initial consultation with a lawyer?

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

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

Just talking: a prospective client 4

Work begins

Step 1

Call

Ask about up-front fees when you book 7.

Step 2

Consultation

A talk about whether you will work together 4.

Step 3

Fee agreement

The scope of the work and the fee are set out when the work begins 1.

Until the fee agreement, you are only talking: a prospective client, not yet a client 14.

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.

0 of 7 ready

Tick each item as it goes in the folder.

The core seven: tick each as it goes in the folder. Ticks stay in this browser only.

Bring copies and keep your originals.

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?

Core seven: 0 of 7 ready

Add for: Car accident0 of 7

From sources

Common sense No source behind these

No law sets the exact list, so give as much as you can to back up your claim 19.

Ticks stay in this browser only.

Pick your kind of problem to add its documents to the core seven.

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.

  • Fees

    • Do you charge an up-front fee?CFPB 7
    • Do I owe anything if I lose?CFPB 7
    • What will it cost in total, and what could raise it?Common sense

  • Timeline

    • How long might it take?Common sense

  • Who

    • How much of your work involves my kind of problem?CFPB 7
    • Who will actually work on my case?Common sense

  • Contact

    • How will we keep in touch, and how often?Common sense
Seven questions in four groups. Each is marked as the CFPB’s 7 or common sense.

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.

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

  • Florida Bar$0

    Modest-means panel: free 30 minutes if you qualify by income 12

  • State Bar of Wisconsinup to $20

    No more than $20 for 30 minutes 14

  • NYC Bar$35 or free

    Depends on the case; up to 30 minutes 11

  • Idaho State Bar$35 referral fee

    The meeting is free, up to half an hour. The bar charges a $35 referral fee unless the case is personal injury, medical malpractice or workers’ compensation 13

  • State Bar of Nevada$45

    Non-refundable, up to 30 minutes 15

One stated fee Depends on the case or your income, or “up to”

Same 30 minutes, five prices: five examples, not a national rule 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 s 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 agreement must be in writing, signed by you, and state the percentages for settlement, trial and appeal 1.

  • Hourly

    You pay: for time, at a set rate

    Time × the rate

  • Flat fee

    You pay: one set price

    One price for defined work

  • Contingency

    You pay: a percentage of what you recover

    A slice of what you recover, in a signed writing 1

Three ways to build a fee. The pictures show how the charge is made, not amounts 13.

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.

  1. PreferablyABA model rule

    Fee terms in writing, preferably 1

  2. MustContingency fee

    In writing, signed by you 1

  3. RequiredCalifornia

    Over $1,000 expected total 3

  4. CA is highlighted. Everywhere else: check your state bar.

The ABA’s model says “preferably” in writing, a contingency fee must be, and California requires it above $1,000. Other states: check your state bar 13.

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.

Walk away, and the rule still limits the lawyer.

You

What you told the lawyer

LawyerStill talking

While you talk, you are a prospective client 4. Switch on “Not hired” to see what happens when you walk away.

Walking away doesn’t open the lock: the model rule still limits what the lawyer may use or reveal 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.

Where can you get free or low-cost help?

Five places to start.

Five places to start. Each has its own limits, so ask what cases it takes 671016.

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.

Legal aid income line: $19,950 for one, $69,650 for eight.

$19,950a year for 1 person 5

125% of the federal poverty guidelines is the most the rule allows 2. Figures are for the 48 states and DC; Alaska and Hawaii are higher. Some people above the line can still qualify under exceptions 25.

LSC’s legal aid income line, 125% of the poverty guideline, effective January 26, 2026. Pick a household size 25.

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.

A paper has a deadline

Respond by the date given 8.

It is an immigration matter

Only certain people can represent you 9.

Something big is at stake

  • Money
  • Your home
  • Your job
  • Your status

Cost is the worry?

Free and low-cost help is above.

Four signals for when to book a first meeting, and where to turn if cost is the worry 89.

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.

Talk to Scribe for free

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

Does the first meeting mean I’ve hired the lawyer?

Not by itself. Under the ABA’s model rule, you are a prospective client when you consult a lawyer about possibly hiring them 4. Ask for the fee terms, in writing if you can, as the work begins 13.

What if I can’t afford even a reduced fee?

Try legal aid. Search by address on the Legal Services Corporation site 6, or start at LawHelp.org 10. Some groups take only certain cases, so ask.

How long does a lawyer consultation last?

We found no national rule. The bar referral services we read set up to 30 minutes 1112131415. Beyond that, the lawyer’s fees apply 111314. Ask about length and fees when you book.

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
  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

Kyle Moore

Co-founder · Georgia trial attorney

A Marine Corps veteran and Georgia trial attorney since 2013, Kyle brings his courtroom experience to Scribe’s founding team. Licensed in Georgia.

Scribe is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. A conversation does not create an attorney-client relationship. This article is general information, not legal advice.

prospective client

Someone who talks with a lawyer about possibly forming a client-lawyer relationship 4.

contingency fee

A lawyer’s fee set as a percentage of what you recover. It must be in writing, signed by you 1.

flat fee

One set price for defined work 3.

All writing

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Scribe is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. A conversation does not create an attorney-client relationship.