Initial Phone Call: What To Expect When Calling SW&L Attorneys

The time has come. You have decided that you want to hire an attorney. You might feel like this is going to be an overwhelming task, but I assure you, it doesn’t have to be.

Case Information

When calling our firm, we will start the intake process by first getting familiar with the issue that you have. A brief summary regarding the facts is great. It is not necessary to tell us every little detail during this first phone conversation. Do tell us exactly what you need. Make sure you are always truthful in your answers so that we may help you in the best way that we can. Next, we will need to know if your case is in North Dakota or Minnesota. Most of our attorneys, but not all, are licensed in both states. Our attorneys can only practice law in the states in which they are licensed.

Personal Information

Once we have the topic down, we will need to know your name and the names of all other parties involved along with the proper spelling. All information given will be kept confidential. After we know your subject matter and all the names, we will then need to know the best phone number and email address that our attorneys can use to get a hold of you at. Some other information that would be key for us to know right away are whether you have any upcoming court dates or if the other party involved already started the legal process? Do you have any documents that you need to respond to by a certain date? One of the last pieces of information that we need when you call in is how you heard about our firm. Google? A friend? A past client? This data helps us keep track of where potential clients are locating us at.

Behind The Scenes

After we end the first phone call, our firm will send out a conflict check to all of our staff. A conflict check is a process by which an attorney ensures his/her representation of one client is not adverse to another client or creates additional conflicts for the firm/attorneys. This is a very important step that most people do not understand. We will then write an email to the supervising attorney in the specific department that concerns your matter. That attorney then looks over the information and gives you a call or an email back. Waiting for the attorney to contact you back may take a day or even up to a week after your initial phone call. The reason for the variable timeframe is that each attorney has certain current deadlines and obligations they have to meet for other cases. Some may be in trial when you first call. When they call or email you back, they will want to go over your case in more detail, let you know what the fee would be for representation, and if we would be able to take on your case.

Do you need representation? We would be happy to speak with you. Contact SW&L at 701-297-2890 or email us at: info@swlattorneys.com.

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