Dog Bite Attorney: Preparing For The Initial Consultation

A free, initial consultation is an opportunity for you to meet with a dog bite attorney. If you aren't sure whether you have a case or if you should continue with your lawsuit, legal advice can be invaluable. Aside from learning more about what you need to do next, you can also find out if this is the professional that you want handling your case.

Research:
Did you find a dog bite attorney online? Checking out a firm's website is the first place to research. You can learn about a person's experience, their accomplishments and achievements, as well as their professional affiliations. While this won't tell you if this is a person that you feel confident and comfortable sharing your case with, it will ensure that you find someone with the appropriate credentials.

If you aren't sure where to start looking for a lawyer, you can always talk to friends and family members to get a recommendation. If you spend some time seeing a doctor about your injuries, he or she may be able to suggest a firm to work with. If you have no leads and no recommendations, take the time to look through all of your options and narrow it down to one or two that you would like to meet.

Preparation:
After setting up an initial consultation with a dog bite attorney, prepare for the meeting. Start by making sure that you can clearly and concisely explain the incident. Most people's experiences are traumatic. Be prepared to explain what happened, how it affected you (physically and mentally), and how you would like to pursue the case. If your consultation only lasts thirty minutes, you don't want to waste any time.

It helps to have all of your paperwork and evidence together and organized. If the dog bite attorney asks about specific dates or specific treatments you have undergone, you will have everything readily available. This can also help guide you through your explanation of the incident. You can look down at the paperwork and talk about what you have been through.

Questions:
You shouldn't be the only person talking at an initial consultation with a dog bite attorney. Bring along some questions that you would like to ask. If you didn't find out much about the firm's experience in this area, feel free to ask about how many cases they have tried and in general, how the outcomes worked out. Ask about the cost of the legal services. Are you going to pay by the hour or does the lawyer offer a flat rate for his or her assistance. At the end of your consultation with a lawyer, you want to be confident that this is the person that you want to work with.