We are often asked, “Do I need to bring anything?” to our first meeting with a new client. The answer is almost always No, but there are preliminary steps you can take to have a quality first meeting and be better prepared for legal action when you hire us:
Divorce, Child Custody, and other Family Law Matters
Every family law consultation begins with our online intake pathway:
(We are adding Missouri to our intake coverage, and we are in the process of consolidating our intakes into one link.)
Almost all family law disputes implicate your finances. At a minimum, you generally need to gather your last two state and federal income tax returns with all supporting information (W-2s, 1099s, or K-1s), as well as your three most recent earning statements from all sources. Many cases also require financial account statements from banks, credit unions, and credit cards. You may need your mortgage loan documents, including the amortization schedule, insurance policies, and employer documents and agreements concerning health insurance and other employee benefits.
Family law cases rely heavily on communication between the parties. We know that people correspond in many different formats. If you primarily use email, you may need a service like CloudHQ to filter your emails and export them into chronological PDFs. If you primarily text, you will need to use one of two applications: Legal Text Collector for an Android device, or iExplorer for an Apple device. Those applications allow you to export your texts between you and a specific person (or group texts) to a PDF that can be used in court.
You will also need to list your witnesses. We are often asked, “How many character witnesses do I need?” The answer is almost always None. Character evidence is often completely inadmissible. You will need fact witnesses who actually saw, heard, or otherwise experienced specific incidents to testify about their perceptions, as opposed to rumors, secondhand information, ideas, or reputation.
If you already have a court order, such as a child support order, temporary order, or final decree, you may email that to us before your meeting or bring a copy with you.
Injury Cases
You should make a list of eyewitnesses who personally saw or heard the incident. For each witness, include as much contact information as possible: their name, phone number, address, and email address if you know it. Then, make a separate list of providers, including first responders such as police and medical personnel, as well as nurses, doctors, and all medical treatment facilities.
Appeal
Appeals are extremely time-sensitive. If you are consulting with us for an appeal, we need a copy of the court order or judgment to review as soon as possible. You will also need the transcript from your hearing or trial, so you or your trial attorney should order the transcript from the court reporter right away, without delay.
How to Get Your Information to Us
If you have volumes of photos, videos, or financial documents, don’t worry about bringing them all to the office for your first meeting. Once you engage our services, we will provide you with a link to an online portal where you can upload all your information. If all your evidence is on paper, you can bring it to us at a pre-arranged time for us to scan. Although we do not store property for long periods of time, we have extensive experience gathering and digitally preserving information.