Many people I meet with explain how apprehensive they were to schedule a consultation. Here are a few key items to expect:
1. You will meet with me. Not a paralegal. Not an associate attorney. If you hire me, you purchase my time, energy, and expertise – not someone else’s.
2. You will be treated with dignity and respect. Many people are embarrassed telling others about the mistakes they made with their money. Everybody makes mistakes, and I try to make it clear from the beginning that my job is to help solve the problems regardless of how you got there.
3. Here is a narrative of what you can expect:
“Thanks for coming in today. It sure is a pleasure to meet you. Did you have any trouble finding my office?”
Client: “No trouble. I have been dreading coming in. This is the last place I ever thought I would be.”
“That feeling is very common, and part of my job is to make it go away. I am sure you are tired of being stressed out about finances and what to do. Together, we can figure this thing out and help get you moving in the right direction.”
Client: “Truth be told, I’ve done some really dumb things. I went crazy on my credit cards a couple years back, bought a car I couldn’t afford, and now I am in trouble with my mortgage.”
“All of those things are what I deal with on a daily basis. I am not here to judge your mistakes. I am here to help fix your problems. Lets start at the beginning. I have about 5 minutes of questions I usually begin with, then I like to answer any questions that might be on your mind, and then we can talk about what you want to do going forward after I explain the different types of relief available to help you. You ready?”
Client: “I’ve been ready to stop worrying about this stuff for a long time.”
“Great, lets get started.”
