Many lawyers and law firms offer a free consultation, but what exactly should you be asking during this time?

Your first meeting with a lawyer is an opportunity to learn whether you have a legal dispute and if so, what a possible result may be. But more than that, it is a chance to get to know the person who will be dealing with your case.

 

A free case review can be treated like a job interview, with you as the employer. Do not be shy to ask questions such as what expertise the lawyer has in working in the area of law your case is dealing with. Generally, you should not be asking in-depth questions about your case but trying to get a sense of whether the lawyers is the right one to take on your case.

Preparing for a Free Case Review

The most important thing to do when preparing for your free case review is to think about the outcome you want. “Winning” a case means different things to each person. Telling your personal injury lawyer about your desired outcome will help them to decide what strategy is best suited for you.

Consider whether there is a certain amount of money you need to cover your damages from the accident. Is having the other party admit that they were at fault more important to you than the amount of money you may receive? Is keeping costs low the most important factor?

Other than your desired outcome, you should also consider research you may want to do in advance of your review, questions you might ask to your lawyer, and things your lawyer might want to know.

What You Should Do Before Your Free Case Review

Before you attend you free case review, it is suggested that you be able to describe your accident and how it has impacted you. Things that you may want to be able to describe to your lawyer include:

  • How the accident occurred;
  • Any injuries you experienced as a result of the accident, including physical and psychological;
  • Any medical treatment you received, where you received it, and how it was paid for;
  • Other money you spent in relation to the accident that is not medical treatment, such as gas money to get to your treatments;
  • Your employment information, whether your accident has required you to take time off work, whether accommodations were necessary;
  • How your injuries affect your daily activities such as childcare, chores, and hobbies;

If you are able, you should provide specific dates and times for important events such as the date of your accident, when you attended medical treatment, and changes to your employment.

You can also look up the lawyer or firm before attending your free case review.
Often, firm websites or professional profiles such as on LinkedIn may contain information about the lawyers which you may want to know. You can usually get a sense of what schools the lawyer attended, what areas they specialize in, and how long they have been practicing for.

 

You may also find reviews of the lawyer or firm that other clients have provided. Some firms also provide blog posts regarding specific areas of the law which may be relevant to your accident. This can be helpful in informing you of what questions you may want to ask the lawyer, and what questions they may ask you in turn.

NOVA Injury Law many reviews from real clients. Learn why NOVA Injury Law has been chosen by the best law firm and achieves a top-rated status for years by ThreeBestRated.

You can find a link to a collection of our reviews here.

Questions You Should Ask the Lawyer

You can treat your free Case Review like an interview of your lawyer. This means you can (and should) ask all the questions you’ve been thinking about your personal injury claim. Before attending a Case Review, you may want to write down some questions to ask your lawyer.

Not sure what to ask? Here is a list of topics you may want to know about:

  • What are the strengths of my case;
  • How long will the negotiation case;
  • How likely am I to win my case;
  • Will my case go to trial;
  • How much is my case is worth;
  • How will be working on my case;
  • Are my compensation expectations reasonable;
  • How many updates can I expect;

You can also ask your lawyer personal questions such as their background in the area, how many similar cases they deal with, and what a good outcome would be for them. You can even ask them what their strategy for approaching your case would be.

Finally, do not be afraid to ask the lawyer what your next steps should be as well as things you may want to avoid doing.

At NOVA Injury Law, Jeff Mitchell and the team take the time to speak injury victims with compassion and understanding. You will get our honest opinion about the case so you’ll know where you stand and what to expect along the way to settlement of your personal injury claim.

What A Personal Injury Lawyer Will Want to Know

When you attend a free Case Review, you should be prepared to provide the lawyer with answers to several questions. This may include personal information such as:

  • Your injuries;
  • Your medical history;
  • Your financial losses; and
  • The treatments you have received;
  • Impact of injuries outside of work;
  • List of people who have helped you in the aftermath of your injury.

 

Other information that your personal injury lawyer may want includes:

  • What specific issues we can help you to overcome;
  • All information about your accident, not just what supports your side of the story. Remember, any information you provide the lawyer in this Case Review will remain confidential;
  • A brief summary of what your accident was and when your accident happened. The date your accident happened is a very important piece of information for your lawyer to know. Generally, you only have two years after an accident to start a claim, and if you are nearing this deadline, a lawyer will want to take immediate action;
  • Information about your medical history; and
  • Information about any witnesses to your accident.

Attending Your Free Case Review

Your case review can happen in person or on a phone call. NOVA Injury Law serves clients all across Canada and using technology to enable easy access to our legal team.

When attending your free Case Review, remember to be fully transparent with the lawyer because the information remains confidential. Do not keep details about your accident or your condition from your lawyer in order to get accurate answers about your case. Although you may not be the lawyer’s client at this point, the information you provide is still considered confidential and will not be disclosed to the insurer or anyone else outside of the law firm.

Remember that you can take notes during your free Case Review. It may be difficult to remember everything that the lawyer tells you during the consultation, so writing it down can ensure that you do not have to repeat your questions.

 

Feel free to speak up if you do not understand something or if you are not sure that you have understood. The team at NOVA Injury Law aim to provide information about your case in plain English so you know exactly where you stand. We’re found that using clear language helps our clients understand their legal rights and make better decisions about their personal injury claim.

What to Bring to a Free Case Review

Remember that you can bring documents to your free Case Review. There are many documents that you can bring with you, but some key documents are:

  • Medical records such as prescriptions for massage therapy or physiotherapy;
  • Police records;
  • Bank statements and pay stubs;
  • Any correspondence you have had with insurance companies;
  • E-mails between yourself and other parties such as witnesses; and
  • Photographs or videos of the accident.

Do not worry if you are unable to locate all of the above documents. Once a lawyer has taken on your file, they will be able to help you locate them.

 

Remember, you can bring something with you to record the information our team shares with you. Of course, you can rely on us to provide a summary of the information in a follow up letter or email. We’re do anything we can to make the process easier for you.

Can I Bring Someone with Me to My Free Case Review?

We’re here to help you understand your rights. You’re welcome to bring anyone that will make you feel more comfortable with the process. Be sure that you fill comfortable with the person being present for a detailed discussion about your case – including health history and accident details.

How Can NOVA Injury Help?

At NOVA Injury Law we will act on your behalf to advocate for you in your personal injury claim. Our legal team will help you to navigate through the law in and help ensure that injuries and damages are accounted for.

The whole idea behind an injury claim is to compensate injury victims for their losses – and this is a wide-ranging task with unique facts in each case. To learn more about NOVA Injury Law’s personal injury law process to protecting injury victims’ rights, contact us now to book your free Case Review. During the free Case Review process, we will give you our honest opinion about your case, how much your injury claim might be worth, and what you should consider as your next steps.

If you are in need of legal advice or representation for your claim in Halifax, Nova Scotia, or anywhere in Atlantic Canada, our personal injury lawyers are here to help. Contact us today and tell us more about your claim – we are here to help!