What to organise before you meet an advocate

The first twenty minutes

Many first meetings with an advocate begin the same way. The client has a bag of papers in no particular order, the story comes out in pieces, and the first twenty minutes go on working out what happened and when. Only then can the conversation turn to what can be done.

That time is not wasted, but much of it can be saved. A little organisation before the meeting means the advocate sees the whole picture sooner, notices deadlines earlier, and spends the meeting on your matter rather than on sorting paper.

What follows is a general checklist. It is not advice about any particular matter, and an advocate's office may ask you for specific documents in advance. If they do, follow their list.

Identity and contact papers

Start with the basics. Bring an identity document and your current address and phone number. If you are attending for a business, bring something that shows your role in it. If anyone else is involved on your side, such as a family member or a co-owner, note their names and contact details.

Papers about the matter

Gather every document connected to the matter, then put them in date order, oldest first. Depending on the situation, this might include:

• agreements, contracts, leases and their attachments;
• letters, notices, emails and messages, printed where possible;
• receipts, invoices, bank statements or other proof of payment;
• any order, summons or paper from a court or an authority;
• photographs or other records, with a note of when they were taken.

Bring the originals and a set of copies you can hand over. Keep the originals safe; an advocate can tell you whether they need them.

A one-page timeline

The most useful thing you can prepare is a short timeline: a list of dates and what happened on each. Keep it factual. "12 March: signed the agreement. 2 June: received the letter. 9 June: replied by email." Mark anything you are unsure of.

A timeline lets an advocate understand the story in a few minutes and spot gaps or inconsistencies that need explaining. It also helps you: writing it often brings back details you had forgotten.

Deadlines and dates

Look through every paper you have received for a date by which something must happen: a reply, a payment, an appearance, a filing. Write these at the top of your timeline. If any date is close, say so as soon as the meeting starts, or when you book it.

Some deadlines in law are strict and cannot easily be extended. That is a reason not to wait until your papers are perfect before you seek help.

Your questions

Write down what you want to know before you go. For example: what are my options, what are the risks of each, what will happen next, how long might it take, and what will it cost. Ask about fees openly; an advocate can explain how they charge.

During the meeting, write down the answers, or ask whether you may make notes. Afterwards, add them to your folder.

What not to do

Do not alter documents, add notes on originals, or throw anything away because it seems unimportant. Do not send documents to people who do not need them. And until you know how a tool stores what you share, do not upload confidential papers to it; the article on confidential documents and AI tools explains why.

Where AI Lawyer fits

Two of AI Lawyer's planned features are aimed at exactly this preparation: case organisation, which keeps the documents and notes for a matter in one place, and step-by-step guidance through a process in general terms. Both are planned, not built, and how documents will be stored is not decided yet. When your matter needs advice, the plan is to direct you to a qualified advocate. The guide to finding a qualified advocate covers that step, and the product page lists what AI Lawyer plans to do and what it will not do.