Initial Meeting with a Maryland Civil Litigation Attorney

During the initial meeting with a Maryland civil litigation attorney, the lawyer will explain your legal options and how they could help you. If you are in the midst of a civil dispute, you should call today and set up a consultation. Let an experienced civil litigation lawyer help you with your case.

What Happens in the Initial Meeting Between a Plaintiff and a Lawyer?

Before the initial meeting, the attorney will want an explanation about what the case involves or what the relationship is so they can prepare to speak about the specific topic related to the engagement. The lawyer wants to appear confident and capable of handling the task at the initial meeting. The attorney wants to identify the difficulties they may face, such as a personality or financial issue. The lawyer will want to inform the claimant about their legal options and how to best move forward. Unfortunately, sometimes the facts are not at all favorable for the plaintiff. There should be some ability to assess whether the attorney and prospective plaintiff want to proceed with their working relationship.

Documents to Bring to a First Meeting

For the initial meeting with a Maryland civil litigation attorney, the individual should bring anything that is relevant to the case to give the attorney an understanding of the dispute. Documents might include a contract, emails, property documents, partnership documents, and anything that provides an explanation about the basis of the dispute. If someone is being sued, they should bring the summons, the complaint, and other court documents.

Discussing Settlements and Trials

A civil litigation attorney explains settlement versus trial to their individual in terms of certainty with respect to the claims alleged, the court and judge and other factors. It is the same discussion one has when they discuss settlement later in the case. There is a question of certainty and the benefit of settlement. A settlement resolves the case and provides peace of mind to the litigants that they control their own destiny and do not rely on strangers to make the decision about who wins or loses, which is always unpredictable and stressful. Discussing settlements versus trials gives the person more power to control their own future. A settlement is often cheaper than litigation. An individual should have that discussion early to assess whether a case can be resolved without litigation and what it would take to do that. Ethically, attorneys are required to keep an eye on the settlement option to see if there is a way to avoid litigation.

The attorney and the person discuss the alternatives at the beginning of the case and later in the case when there is an opportunity for a settlement after they have developed facts and evidence. The attorney presents options to the individual, so there is always a way to resolve the dispute if it becomes too taxing financially or emotionally for them.

Call today to learn more about the initial meeting with a Maryland civil litigation attorney. Let our team help you.