How to prepare for your first meeting with a lawyer and save time

Purpose of the first appointment (45–60 minutes)

A well-prepared first consultation helps you:

• Assess the facts legally and quickly identify a strategy (amicable resolution, contract, litigation, risk prevention).
• Estimate the stakes, timing and a budget (fixed fee or time spent) realistically.
• Decide next actions (formal demand, document audit, negotiation, draft instrument, court application).

Since Law no. 2015‑990 of 6 August 2015, a fee agreement has been mandatory from the lawyer's first involvement (generally at the end of the consultation). Anticipate this step to avoid misunderstandings about costs.

Your “preparation kit” in 30 minutes

1) A clear, factual chronology (1 page)

• Simple format: date – event – people involved – related document (no.).
• Flag what is uncertain or oral (witnesses, calls).
• Highlight points of friction (disputed clauses, deadlines, unpaid debts, intellectual property, data).

2) A numbered document file

• Identity document and, for a company, KBIS/articles and a simple organisational chart.
• Contracts, purchase orders, terms of sale/use, amendments, key emails, correspondence tables, invoices and reminders.
• Technical evidence (screenshots, event logs, INPI deposits, code repositories, proof of prior creation).
• Useful financial information: amounts, due dates, penalties, projected impact.

Tip: collect everything in PDF format and name files 01_SaaSContract_2024-06-15.pdf, 02_Amendment1.pdf, etc. A good data room saves valuable time; if preparing a major transaction, draw on our legal data room method.

3) Your objectives and limits

• Main objective (e.g. recover €45k, secure a clause, stop infringement).
• Acceptable scenarios: minimum settlement, timing, possible concessions.
• Constraints: timetable, confidentiality, business continuity, image.

4) 6 questions to ask in the meeting

1. What realistic options (amicable, judicial, contractual) and prospects?
2. What documents are missing, and why?
3. Typical timetable and milestones (meetings, draft instruments, hearings)?
4. Budget and fixed-fee or hourly billing method?
5. Risks (legal, reputational, financial) and how to contain them?
6. Communication channels and frequency (email, client space, emergencies)?

Document checklists by matter type

1) Commercial / SaaS contracts

• Signed draft + amendments, general terms, negotiation correspondence.
• Performance evidence (deliverables, tickets, SLA), breaches, formal demands.
• Key clauses to flag: limitation of liability, penalties, termination, appropriate terms of use/sale.

2) Litigation and debt recovery

• Invoices, delivery notes, reminder emails, acknowledgments of receipt.
• Formal demand (if already sent) and the other party's response.
• Detailed calculation of sums due (principal, interest, penalties, penalty clause).

3) Corporate / fundraising

• Articles, shareholders' agreement, cap table, registers (securities transfers).
• Term sheet, NDA, list of documents to prepare for fundraising.
• Major customer/supplier contracts, intellectual property, current disputes.

4) Data and intellectual property

• Assignment/licence contracts, INPI trademark filings, proof of prior creation.
• GDPR record, DPA, privacy policies, impact assessment if applicable.
• For a data leak: incident log, CNIL notifications, measures taken.

Fees: clarify and secure them at the first meeting

After the consultation, the lawyer must offer you a written fee agreement (statutory obligation: Law no. 2015‑990). It specifies the service, calculation method (fixed fee, hourly rate, success fee where applicable), expenses, billing and payment arrangements.

• Compare models: see our fixed fee vs time spent guide.
• Optimise cost through preparation: fewer hours sorting/reading documents.
• Negotiate properly: our advice on negotiating lawyers' fees.
• Calibrate your annual budget: legal budget by startup stage.

Risk warning: never leave without a fee agreement. If the bill is disputed, mediation/challenge procedures exist (head of the bar, bâtonnier), but prevention is better; see Service‑Public's “How to resolve a dispute with a lawyer” guidance (service-public.gouv.fr — official guidance).

Legal aid: check your eligibility

At the first exchange, ask whether you can receive legal aid (full/partial). Test your situation with the official calculator on justice.fr — French justice portal. If eligible, bring supporting documents (income, expenses, household composition).

Organisation and communication with the firm

• One document channel (secure Drive, single link), standardised filenames.
• Shared tracker: actions, owner, due date, status.
• Short regular progress meeting (15–20 minutes), written summary.
• Emergencies: define escalation arrangements and hours.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Arriving without a chronology or sorted documents: you pay for unnecessary “forensic” work.
• Omitting unfavourable facts: the lawyer loses accuracy and strategic clarity.
• Confusing “what is written” with “what was said”: distinguish evidence from allegations.
• Negotiating fees orally: require a signed written agreement.

Email template for requesting a first appointment

Subject: Request for initial consultation – [Brief subject]

Dear Counsel,

I would like to arrange a first meeting (45–60 minutes) concerning: [3-line summary].
Please find:
– Chronology (1 page);
– Numbered document file (PDF, 12 documents);
– My objectives and constraints (1/2 page).

Could you let me know your availability this week and your fee arrangements
(consultation, fixed fee/time spent)?

Kind regards,
[Name – role – company] – [telephone]

Printable checklist

• 1-page chronology ready
• Numbered documents and PDF index
• Main objective + alternative scenarios
• 6 priority questions listed
• Target budget and billing preferences
• Legal aid eligibility checked
• Fee agreement to sign at the end of the meeting

More on costs and strategy

If you anticipate recurring work, compare fee approaches with our business-law fees in Paris guide and refine planning through the legal budget by stage.

For a practical view of a first consultation from the firm's perspective, also see this educational resource (avocat-lefevre-beuzeval.fr — first consultation guidance).