at an initial consultation a client

should expect to leave with information

so that they can take some time to make

a fully informed decision of where they

want to go a consultation is unique

because I’m not their their lawyer

they’re not my client nonetheless it’s

covered by the attorney client privilege

meaning everything’s protected it’s a

safe space and from the conflict laws in

Oregon that means that we can’t meet

with the other side so there’s no

pressure so it’s a grand opportunity for

them to have all their questions

answered uh we’ll go through the process

how it works generically and how it

could be tailored to where they’re at

specifically and then we address

substantive issues and we usually round

out the the consultation by making sure

all their questions are answered and

reminding them that it’s not a a

oneandone situation I’ve consulted with

people up to 30 times before they made a

decision so it’s really about

interviewing that professional that will

be a resource for them going forward and

on that final piece of resource I often

suggest that they meet with two to three

lawyers because at the point when you

practice for 20 years you expect

everyone to be an expert in the law but

I feel like in family law when you’re

going to go through a pretty bumpy

process regardless of how well

everyone’s getting along it’s also

really important that you find someone

that uh has a personality that resonates

so their character and then their

approach to your case is going to be

nuanced based upon their practice and

their 20 to 30 years of experience so I

of suggest getting those second or third

opinions to see if someone’s personality

resonates more or their approach because

those are some of the more

differentiating factors when meeting

with lawyers