How to prepare for a first consultation

Before you book

Firms use different words for a first conversation. Some offer a short phone call, some a longer meeting, and some include the first meeting in a larger fee. Ask the office which one you are booking.

• Is this first conversation free? If not, what does it cost?
• How long is it?
• Will I speak with the lawyer who would do the work, or with someone else?
• Is it in person, by phone, or by video?
• What, if anything, would you like me to bring or send ahead?

What to bring or send

Ask the office what it wants before the meeting, and share only what it asks for. A first email or web form is not the place for private details of your situation, so ask how the office prefers to receive them.

• Any existing will, trust, power of attorney or health care directive, or a note of where the originals are kept.
• A list of what you own and how each item is held (for example, whose names are on an account or deed), and any beneficiary forms you remember filling in.
• The names and ages of the people you are thinking about, and anyone you are unsure about.
• Your own list of goals and worries, and the questions you do not want to forget.
• A photo ID if the office asks for one.

This list describes how people commonly prepare. Your lawyer may ask for something different, and nothing here tells you what you need.

Write down three things

You do not need to be organized to see a lawyer. A short note in your own words is enough, and it keeps the meeting from drifting.

1. Why you are looking for a lawyer now.
2. What you hope to have finished when the work is done, as you understand it.
3. The questions you do not want to forget. Our list of questions is a starting point.

Bring someone, or ask for what you need

If you would like a family member or friend in the room, ask the office first, because the lawyer may want to speak with you alone for part of the meeting. If you need an interpreter, a different meeting format, a step-free route, or extra time, say so when you book. Asking early tells you something about how the office works.

During the meeting

You are allowed to treat this as an interview. Take notes. If you do not understand a word, ask what it means. Pay attention to whether the lawyer listens, explains plainly, and is clear about cost.

• Ask who your contact will be between meetings.
• Ask what happens next if you decide to go ahead.
• Ask for the fee and what it covers in writing.

Afterward

You do not have to decide on the spot. Compare your notes while they are fresh. If you speak with more than one lawyer, asking each the same questions makes the answers easier to compare.

If cost is a worry

Ask about cost at the first call. Some private firms publish prices or offer a free first conversation, and others do not, so the question is fair. There are also free and lower-cost routes, which usually have eligibility rules such as age or income and may not cover every kind of work.

• LawHelpMN lists free self-help material on wills and probate and a directory of free and low-cost legal providers.
• The Minnesota Judicial Branch publishes some probate court forms and says it is best to get a lawyer's help with a will or trust.
• The Judicial Branch forms page also points to non-court forms published by Minnesota Legal Services State Support and the Attorney General's Office, including a health care directive form and a power of attorney short form. Read the fact sheets that come with them.
• The Minnesota State Bar Association has a find-a-lawyer directory of private lawyers. Its website address changed recently, so search for it by name.

Checked 2026-11-06. We have not confirmed any provider's current eligibility, services or waiting times. Contact them directly.

• LawHelpMN: wills and probate
• Minnesota Judicial Branch: probate, wills and estates forms