Will I Have to Pay for a Legal Consultation?

Florida attorney L. Reed Bloodworth is the managing partner of Bloodworth Law with offices in Orlando and Winter Haven.

One of the most frequently asked questions by people calling the law firm is: will I have to pay for a legal consultation?

Information Collected, First

The answer is that every case is different and that question can’t be answered until all the information is collected.

Attorneys don’t have a crystal ball providing all answers to every question. The law is complex and the facts of a case, the proof, the paperwork, must be thoroughly reviewed.

This is why sometimes clients pay for a consultation, and sometimes clients don’t pay for a consultation.

Gather All Your Paperwork Together

Before Reed talks with a client about a case, the Bloodworth Law legal staff asks questions about the case, gathers documentation.

A Conflict Check is Completed

A conflict check is done, and then, Reed has to determine whether a case will be pursued.

While Reed does consultations, when a client calls, they’re typically not going to speak to Reed or one of the other attorneys at the firm the first time they call.

Consultation Set After All Information is In

When it’s clear that the information collected is accurate, and a case is viable, a client meeting is set up where Reed talks with the client to decide if the case will be accepted.

There are some circumstances where a client will contact Reed and they will want to have a more in-depth conversation. They need specific answers right away without the documentation or specific paperwork being provided. They want a consultation.

Paid Consultations

That kind of consultation will fall under the realm of paid consultations, because they want to come in with documents, explain details to an attorney. They want to get the attorney’s opinion immediately.

In those situations, it would be just an hourly consult. A standard hourly fee for however long the consult will last.

Help by Providing Information Quickly

When Reed does a consultation on a case, it’s because it’s already gone through the paralegals, who have gathered the documents, who have collected the facts. Reed wants to have a consultation because he thinks they may have a case and he wants to discuss it with them.