A person consults with a lawyer when they meet the lawyer to talk about a legal problem they have. Usually, a person is looking for legal advice. A person might need a legal consultation with a lawyer because they have a range of needs. For example, the person may be thinking of getting a divorce. They may want to form a business with some partners and want to discuss what structure the business should have and what the tax implications would be.
A person who is already in business may want an attorney consultation in order to discuss intellectual property issues, such as trademarks and patents. A person may have been charged with driving under the influence or another crime and need an attorney to defend them.
Whatever the reason, the person wants to discuss the issue with a person who is licensed to practice law in Louisiana. Each state licenses its own attorneys, so in order to practice law in Louisiana, a person needs to have met the requirements for licensing in Louisiana.
Of course, a person might also meet with a lawyer who is providing them with service in an ongoing legal matter. The lawyer may represent the person in a lawsuit or may routinely provide their business with services in connection with business-related issues.
What Will Be Discussed at a Legal Consultation?
If the meeting were to happen later in the course of a lawyer’s existing representation of a client, they might discuss the most recent developments in the client’s case. They might prepare for a deposition or a pre-trial settlement conference. Or, if the lawyer has created an estate plan for the client, they might review it together to decide if it is complete and what the client wants or if it still needs revisions. They might discuss any aspect of the lawyer’s representation and the client’s issue.
If the consultation is the first time that a person has met with the lawyer, they will discuss the legal issue that brought the person to the lawyer’s office. In some situations, it might be possible for the lawyer to answer a person’s questions about their problem during this initial consultation, and no further meetings would be necessary.
However, often, a person needs continuing representation. For example, if a person suffered a significant injury because of the negligence of a medical professional, they may need to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice. If so, the attorney and the person talk about the agreement by which the attorney would provide representation to the client. They would want to put that in writing.
The attorney and the client would have to agree on how the attorney is going to be paid. Generally, there are three standard ways in which attorneys collect their fees, as an hourly fee billed monthly, a contingency fee, or a flat fee.
Other important issues need to be discussed as well. The client may not have prior experience in using the services of an attorney, so the attorney would want to explain what the next steps would be. They would discuss in greater detail the services the attorney is going to provide and what the client’s role is going to be. A client would certainly want to know what the result of the attorney’s efforts would look like.
If the meeting were to happen later in the course of a lawyer’s representation of a client, they might discuss the most recent developments in the client’s case. They might prepare for a court hearing or a trial. Or, if the lawyer has created an estate plan for the client, they might review it together. They could discuss any aspect of the lawyer’s representation and the client’s issue.
Will My Legal Consultation Be Confidential?
As in every state in the U.S., licensed attorneys are bound by their state’s rules of professional conduct. This is true in Louisiana also. Among the rules that govern the professional practice of lawyers is the rule regarding confidentiality. Basically, a lawyer may not reveal information about their client and the client’s legal issue that they learn in the course of discussing their legal problem or representing them.
There are exceptions as follows:
- Informed Consent: A lawyer may reveal information to the extent that a client has given their informed consent to the disclosure;
- Implied Consent: A lawyer may disclose information if the client has given their implied consent. This generally means that the disclosure is necessary for the lawyer to represent the client as they have agreed;
- Preventing Certain Death or Substantial Bodily Injury: A lawyer may disclose information they have obtained from their client if they believe it is necessary to prevent death or substantial bodily injury to a third party;
- Preventing Crime or Fraud: A lawyer might believe they must disclose information that would otherwise be confidential to prevent the client from committing a crime or fraud that would harm the financial interests or property of another person and in a scheme that made use of the lawyer’s services. In that case, they may disclose the information;
- Attorney-client Dispute: The lawyer might disclose information in order to defend themselves if there is a dispute between the lawyer and the client.
There are other technical exceptions as well. If a person is especially concerned about the confidentiality of their community, they should ask their lawyer about it at the start of their consultation.
What Questions Should I Ask When I Consult a Lawyer?
If the consultation concerns the continuing representation of the lawyer and the client in connection with a particular issue, they would discuss the matter on which the lawyer is working. For example, if the lawyer has drafted a document of some kind, e.g. a contract or a will, they would review the document and discuss whether it fulfills the client’s requirements or needs further revision.
If the lawyer is prosecuting a lawsuit for the client, of course, they will discuss the status of the case, what has been accomplished, and what remains to be done. The other party to the lawsuit may have made a settlement offer, and the person would discuss the pros and cons of the offer with their lawyer and get their lawyer’s opinion as to whether it should be accepted. They may review documents that the client has that are relevant to the case.
If the consultation is a first meeting, they will discuss the person’s legal issue and why the person has sought legal advice. They would discuss whether the lawyer provides the service needed to deal with the problem and, if so, how the lawyer would charge for their service. The person would know how the lawyer’s service is going to resolve their problem and possibly how long it might take to come to a conclusion.
Are Lawyer Consultations Free?
If a lawyer and client meet in the course of the lawyer’s representation and the lawyer charges the client an hourly fee, the lawyer would probably charge their standard hourly fee for the meeting. If the lawyer is charging the client a flat fee or a contingency fee for their representation, there would be no charge for a specific meeting.
Otherwise, for a very first consultation, most lawyers would charge a modest consultation fee, e.g., fifty dollars for a half-hour meeting, or they might offer an initial meeting free of charge. Again, a client could confirm the fee, if there is one, how much it is, and how it can be paid at the time they schedule their appointment.
How Much Does a Louisiana Lawyer Cost?
The cost of a lawyer in Louisiana depends on several factors, as is true in other states. So, for example, in the largest cities in a state, e.g., New Orleans in Louisiana, attorneys are probably going to charge more than the lawyers in the more remote, less populated areas of the state would charge.
Then, lawyers charge differently for different types of services. An attorney might charge a flat fee for an uncomplicated personal bankruptcy case. They might charge an hourly fee to draft a business contract. Generally, lawyers want a contingency fee for their representation in a personal injury lawsuit.
An attorney who has an excellent reputation in a particular city or town is likely to charge more than a younger, less experienced attorney who may not yet have built up a reputation. Or, if an attorney has established a reputation for success in a particular area of practice, e.g., personal injury law, they may charge a higher fee than an attorney who does not have a similar reputation for success.
An attorney may have lots of experience in a special type of lawsuit that few other attorneys handle, e.g. representing the victims of airplane disasters. This might entitle them to charge higher fees.
Of course, the final cost of an attorney’s service depends in part on the unique profile of a client’s issue. Some cases require more of an attorney’s time to bring to a conclusion, so the cost might be higher. A case might also involve paying certain expenses. For example, if the input of an expert witness is required, the client would have to pay the cost of the expert’s consultation and possibly other costs as well.
Should I Schedule a Meeting with an Attorney?
Whatever your legal issue, you want to consult a local attorney in Louisiana. Talking to an attorney during a first consultation is something most people can afford. An attorney may even be able to answer your questions and resolve your concerns in a first meeting. Or, if you do need continuing representation by an attorney, the consultation will help you understand what your next steps should be and how the attorney can help you going forward.
You can present your issue at no cost to a LegalMatch.com attorney who lives in your area. Confidentiality is guaranteed. If you want the attorney to represent you, they will make an offer that comes with a complete attorney profile, details on their fee structure, their background, and ratings from other LegalMatch users. With this information, you should be able to decide if the attorney is the one for you.
