The first meeting with your attorney is an important one, and you do not want to waste your time or the attorney's time. As a potential client, there are a few things that you should do before meeting an attorney. It will make the meeting more efficient because the attorney will have a better understand on if and how they can help you and what your next step would be. Here are some of the things that you should do before meeting your attorney for the first time.
• The first and most important thing that you need to have prepared is your personal information. The attorney will want to know how to contact you. You should provide your cell phone, and home number, as well as your email address, your home address, a work number if you have it, and a fax number if you have. • Second you should have a prepared chronological summary of the facts that led up to you visiting an attorney. You do not need to write out a complete statement if you memorize what you want to say that is fine as well. You will need to be able to provide the names of key individuals, all dates regarding the dispute, and the status of the dispute. You need to explain the "who, what, where, when, and why" of your dispute. • Bring in all documentation regarding the dispute. This includes all kinds of correspondence such as emails, text messages, letters, bills, etc. You should bring in contracts, witness statements, accident reports, and photographs if you can and if those types of documents apply to the case. If your not sure if certain documents are relevant, bring them in regardless. • Finally, come in with an idea of what you want to accomplish with your attorney. You have to be able to explain what you hope to get out of the dispute. The attorney will be able to explain what her or she can do for you based on your goals. Daniel Chammas is an experienced lawyer in California. He is a skilled and successful litigator that has represented numerous large companies. Every lawyer prepares for litigation in different ways. It is important to know your case in and out but when it comes to litigation, the most important thing is to prepare yourself mentally. You have to communicate properly, present yourself in the correct manner, and represent your client’s best interest. Therefore, every lawyer prepares for litigation in a different way. But just because every lawyer prepares differently, it doesn’t mean that the way they are preparing is proper. Here are three of the most common litigation preparation mistakes that lawyers make.
· More and more technical and scientific language is being used in the courtroom these days. It is difficult for most jurors to keep up with the technical language; therefore, lawyers have to create a story to keep the jurors interested and to make the case simpler to understand. Many lawyers and legal teams go into court with a prepared story. This is a mistake because the jury and possibly the judge could well miss some important facts of the case without a story to make things simpler to understand. · Lawyers care about their cases and the interests of the clients. You have to assume that jurors do not initially care and as a lawyer you have to explain to the jury why they should care Lots of lawyers forget to do this because they already care about the case and assume that everyone involved cares as well. This is not always going to be the case. · Lots of lawyers are looking for ways to save the clients money on things that they believe they shouldn't need to pay more for. This is a mistake. Let us say that your client decides to stay in a hotel that is ten miles away from the courthouse because it is cheaper. If your client gets stuck in traffic and is late for court, which will look bad for your client. Or you need certain software for your case and decide to buy the cheaper version. The cheaper version may not fit your exact needs, and it could hurt the case. Don't be afraid to spend more if it is going help you win your case. Daniel Chammas is an experienced lawyer that has represented numerous large corporations in litigation. If you have gotten to the point where you are going to trial on your client's behalf, it means that you have not been able to settle through mediation and that your client has already gone through a deposition. Your client will have been prepped on how to handle a deposition; your role is to now prep them for trial. Here is what you will need to do.
·Many clients are nervous before a trial, and you will need to calm their nerves. You often are able to get permission to go into the courtroom with your client while it’s empty and get acclimated to the room. Have them sit on the witness stand so that they can get used to where the judge will be, where the opposition will sit, and where the jury is located. This will calm their nerves and make them feel more comfortable in the courtroom. ·While you are in the courtroom with your client, have them go over some of the things that you want them to include in their testimony – if they are testifying. Use this as an opportunity to prepare your client for cross-examination as well. You should have done this already, but it can't hurt it prep them a little more, especially in the courtroom so that they feel comfortable during cross-examination. ·Finally, prepare your client for in regards to proper courtroom attire. You don't want your client driving to the court in a fancy car or wearing fancy designer clothes. The jury will take notice of this and may hold it against your client. Additionally, your client needs to know how to speak to the judge and the opposition. If done properly, your client will at the very least be viewed in a favorable perception. Daniel Chammas is a lawyer in California. He is a very experienced litigator and has represented many large companies in the past. Litigation is not a skill that you learn from law school. Becoming a good litigator is something that you gain from experience. The best litigators have been litigating for a while or at the very least have a strong public speaking background. You could know your case inside and out but yet still falter in litigation because of your ability to communicate and interact in the courtroom.
Daniel Chammas is a skilled litigator who has experience representing large companies in the courtroom. Here are the three skills ever lawyer requires to be a successful litigator. ·A successful litigator must have good interpersonal skills. You have to be able to communicate and relate to people otherwise you will have difficulty getting or point across. You have to know how to talk to specific people as well. You need to be professional when speaking to judges, colleagues, other attorneys, and members of the court. You can be more personal with clients, witnesses and possibly the jury. Knowing how to interact with people is key to being a successful litigator. ·You need to have good negotiating skills if you want to be a successful litigator. Your negotiating skills will be the main factor for your client getting a good deal. If you don’t want to take the case to court or the opposition offers a deal, you need to be able to negotiate successfully and represent your client’s best interests. ·There is no substitute when it comes to experience in litigation. The more you litigate, the better a litigator you will become. Look to get any courtroom experience that you can find. You could get this through observing a colleague or by watching a video of a trial. Take notes while you are observing and target areas where you could improve your public speaking and courtroom writing. |
Important Links
Categories
|