Preparing for Your Interview

Whether you are receiving free legal advice or paying for legal assistance, it is to your advantage to be prepared to make the best use of the time you spend with your lawyer or advocate. Here are four steps to take before you see a lawyer or advocate:

1. Complete the form below before speaking with a lawyer or advocate. This form is available to download in word processing format. Take the form with you to the interview.
2. In writing down what happened, put your story in chronological order, and include both the good information and the bad information; if you did something wrong, admit it to the lawyer.
3. Take all letters and documents about your legal problem with you to the interview.
4. Take some form of identification with you to the interview.

For more tips on preparing for the interview, see "A Guide to a Successful Interview with a Lawyer" and the video produced by Access Pro Bono and Justice Education Society of BC Preparing to Meet with a Lawyer.

Preparing for Your Interview Information Sheet

Information about you

What	Your information
Name:
Address:
Postal Code:
Telephone:
Date of Birth:
Social Ins. No.:

What happened?

Write down what happened in order. Include dates, times, locations, names. Use more paper if necessary.

Other people involved

Write down the names, telephone numbers and addresses of the other party and any witnesses.

No.	Name:	Telephone No.:	Address:
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2
3
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5

Documents

On a separate piece of paper, list all of the documents you have relating to the incident. Use the following headings and bring the documents to your meeting:

No.:	Date:	Description of document:	Received from:	Addressed to:
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

(1) A lawyer or a person other than a lawyer who helps clients with legal issues, or (2) to argue a position on behalf of someone.

A mandatory direction of the court that is binding and enforceable upon the parties to a court proceeding. An "interim order" is a temporary order made following the hearing of an interim application. A "final order" is a permanent order, made following the trial of the court proceeding or the parties' settlement, following which the only recourse open to a dissatisfied party is to appeal. Failing to abide by the terms of an order may constitute contempt of court. See "appeal," "consent order," "contempt of court," "decision" and "declaration."

In law, a person named as an applicant, claimant, respondent, or third party in a court proceeding; someone asserting a claim in a court proceeding or against whom a claim has been brought. See "action" and "litigant."