A consultation is a working meeting with the lawyer, at the end of which the client knows where the matter stands in law, what options are open and what the next step would involve. Consultations are conducted by the lawyer.
Before a booking is confirmed, the firm runs a conflict of interest check. Once the booking is confirmed, documents and background may be sent ahead of time, and they are read before the meeting so that the hour can be given to the matter itself.
During the consultation, the lawyer reviews the facts, asks whatever questions are needed to complete them and identifies the legal issues that arise. Where the position is clear, the client is told so plainly, and where further analysis is needed before a recommendation can properly be given, that is explained as well.
For harassment and intimate partner violence matters, the consultation covers the records you hold, such as messages, a timeline, and witness details, together with a candid assessment of the options, from a cease-and-desist letter or protective order through to a civil claim. If you are not in a safe situation, say so when you book, and the arrangements will be made accordingly.
The practice is virtual, so meetings take place by video, telephone and email, with in-person meetings available on request in Cochrane or in Calgary.
After the consultation, the client is free to retain the firm for the whole matter or for a particular piece of work, or to take the advice and proceed no further.
