What to Expect from a Consultation at HD Collaborative Law
Contacting and meeting with a family lawyer for the first time can be intimidating, so we’d like to help reduce any nervousness by answering a few frequently asked questions. Not every meeting will look exactly the same, so these are general answers.
1. Where is HD Collaborative Law located?
Our office is currently located at 256 Buttonbush Street in Waterloo. Please let us know if you have any mobility restrictions prior to your appointment.
We have a private home office, which we find to be a more comfortable environment for seeing clients than a busy commercial space. There is sometimes an office dog with us, so please let us know if you prefer not to have a dog present for any reason.
2. What does a 30 minute consultation look like?
Our initial free consultations are short and sweet. The purpose is to give us a chance to meet you and you to meet us to decide if we might like to work together, without any cost to you.
When you arrive, we will sit down with you and ask you to tell us a bit about the family law concern you have (usually a separation or a pre-nuptial agreement). We won’t have time to discuss every aspect in great detail, but we will ask you some questions about your family, your work, your spouse, your assets and your living situation. This will give us a picture of your situation so that we can help you think about your options for proceeding.
Next, we will explain your different process options within the context of your situation. Once you understand the different options, we will help you determine whether the collaborative process makes sense for you.
3. Do I need to bring anything to an initial consultation?
The only thing we ask you to bring is your ID (government issued with photo) so that we can confirm your identity. If you decide to proceed with us as your lawyers, we will let you know about any documents we need from you by giving you a detailed list.
4. Can I bring my spouse to the consultation?
Please don’t bring your spouse to the consultation. If you choose to proceed with us as your lawyers, we can only represent you. Your spouse will have a different collaborative lawyer.
An exception to this rule is for mediation clients, who come together for an initial consultation regarding mediation. It is important to know that once we’ve met with you as mediators, we will not act as lawyers for either you or your spouse.
5. What comes next?
What happens after an initial consultation depends on how you decide to proceed.
For many people, the initial consultation is a lot to take in, so it makes sense to take some time to think things through before making a decision about the type of process to use.
Others are ready to proceed immediately, so we offer the choice to extend our initial consultation up to 2 hours (for a flat fee of $200). You can take this option if you wish to retain us on the spot and get into a more detailed discussion, so please let us know upon booking if you're hoping to move forward more quickly. Longer appointments are subject to scheduling considerations.
Once you decide to move forward, we will send you a package of documents outlining exactly what information and additional documents we need to collect from you. We will also book a second, longer meeting to have a more in-depth discussion about your situation.
If your spouse does not have a lawyer, we will discuss the best way to approach him or her about finding a collaborative lawyer. If he or she does have a lawyer, we will get in touch with that lawyer to begin the collaborative process, including booking our first group meeting.
6. What if I have more questions?
Please contact us to answer any other questions you might have. We know how stressful it can be to start a legal process of any type, and we want to help you navigate in the way that best suits your needs.