Do I need to have everything organized before a free consultation?
No. Nobody arrives at a first consultation with a perfectly organized file. For a criminal matter, whatever paperwork is available helps: arrest documents, a citation, a case number. For an injury matter, a crash report number or insurance information is useful but not required. When nothing is available yet, the conversation still moves forward without it.
What gets discussed at a free consultation?
The consultation is a conversation about what happened, what the immediate concerns are, and what the realistic next steps look like. A person should leave with a sense of the deadlines that apply, including how Florida statute of limitations rules might affect the situation, the general process ahead, and the realistic options available, even if the full strategy is not decided in that first call.
Am I also evaluating the attorney during the consultation?
Yes. This is not a one-way interview. The person calling is deciding whether this is someone they want handling something important. Worth noticing: whether questions get direct answers, whether the conversation feels genuinely focused on the specific situation, and whether it feels rushed toward a decision instead of grounded in the facts of the case.
Does a free consultation create an attorney-client relationship?
No. That relationship begins only when a representation agreement is signed. Florida Bar Rule 4-1.18 protects information a prospective client shares during a consultation even if no formal representation follows, which is why the conversation carries real confidentiality protection. Written messages sent before an agreement is signed deserve more caution, since they can exist outside that protected setting.
What happens after the consultation?
If the decision is to move forward, the next step is usually a written fee agreement outlining exactly what is covered and how the fee is structured. For personal injury matters, that structure is typically a contingency fee, covered in our Contingency Fee Guide. If the decision is not to move forward, or the matter falls outside what the firm handles, that should be communicated directly rather than left uncertain.
How are consultations handled at this firm?
Consultations are handled personally by Andre, not by an intake screener. Clients speak with him directly, in a conversation that can happen by phone or in person at the Coral Gables office. Consultations are free and confidential, with no obligation to retain. Outside business hours or on weekends, the office maintains a 24-hour answering service. See our page on what it costs to hire a lawyer in Miami for how fees are structured once a decision is made to move forward.