What should I do to prepare for my first meeting with a lawyer?

For your first meeting with your criminal lawyer it is important to come prepared with all the information and documentation that you have available to you. In addition to your documents prepare a detailed list of questions and write them down. This helps keep things on track and we can make sure we address all your questions and concerns up front.

You should bring all the information you have available to you and we can go through it to see what you need to get ready and what might be missing to allow us to move forward.

If you wish it is sometimes helpful for you to write up a summary of events as you know them to be. This can be very helpful to make sure we don’t miss any details. Please remember if you choose to write up a summary of events keep it in a sealed envelope and clearly write, “PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL – FOR MY LAWYER” on the envelope. This prevents the information within the envelope will not be used against you at trial in the event that they are lost, stolen, or confiscated by the police.

In general it’s not a good idea to discuss your case or show your documents to anyone until you have had a chance to meet with a lawyer. Anyone you speak to about your case or situation may become a witness against you. Only what is said in private to your lawyer is protected from potentially becoming evidence against you in your case.