How to Get the Most Out of Your Visit to a Free Legal Clinic

Generally, you will only have about 30 minutes to meet with an attorney. To get the most out of your visit, be as prepared as possible:

• If you already have forms, fill out as much as you can on your own.
  • Do not walk into a clinic with a stack of blank forms.
  • The attorney will not have time to go through all of your forms with you.
  • Only ask the attorney about the sections of the form that are confusing. Mark them with sticky notes so that you can locate them quickly.
• Have a short and succinct version of the facts of your case prepared.
  • Have a written outline or timeline of the facts prepared in advance, so that the attorney can quickly get a sense of the issue.
  • Do not get bogged down with unnecessary details or casting blame.
• Do as much research on the law of your case as you can beforehand.
  • The more you know about the law of your case, the better the attorney can guide you towards the next steps.
• Pick the one issue that you are having the most trouble with or that is the most immediate concern
  • Where are you on your case schedule?
  • Have you been served with a document that you do not know how to respond to?