The initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer can feel daunting.

Most folks have never needed a personal injury lawyer.  Yet, after an accident, many injured people often have nowhere else to turn.

They’re trying their best to get better, but they’re worried.  Worried if they will recover.  Worried about how they can afford treatment, worried if they’ll ever be able to work again.

Amongst all these worries, the accident victim is inundated with paperwork.  The insurance company that is supposed to help them often makes the process harder, not easier.

Folks worry that calling the lawyer will add one more hassle to the mix.

That’s not what we’re here to do.

We want to help guide you through the recovery process, remove the paperwork burdens, and assuage some of your worries.

If you have never spoken with a personal injury lawyer before, it’s natural to wonder what that first meeting will be like.

So what happens when you contact us?

Here’s a plain-language explanation of what happens when you contact our firm for the first time.

Step One: Our Intake Team Gets Basic Details About You and Your Situation

There are many different ways you can contact our firm, including:

Email – intake@bergeronclifford.com

Phone – 613.384.5886

Online

No matter how you first reach out, the first thing you’ll be asked to do is provide some very basic details about yourself and your situation.

This is not a legal consultation.  It’s a chance for us to get some basic information and make sure we’re the right fit for your needs.

If more information is required, you may receive a follow-up call or email from someone on our intake team.  Again, the purpose of this call is information gathering.

Not every matter that comes to us falls within our practice areas, and not every situation is right for legal intervention. For example:

• In some cases, it may simply be too soon — certain claims require that a situation develop further before a lawyer can meaningfully assess or advance them.
• In other cases, the matter may involve an area of law that our firm does not practice, and we can point you in a better direction.
• Sometimes there are practical considerations — such as conflicts, limitation periods, or jurisdictional issues, that our intake team can flag early so your time isn’t wasted

If you’d be better served by another law firm, or if there is a practical barrier to your claim (like a limitation period), our intake team will tell you as much.

Step Two: Your Free Consultation with a Personal Injury Lawyer

If your matter is something our firm can assist with, the next step is a consultation directly with one of our lawyers. This is where the real conversation begins.

This consultation can be held by phone, virtually, or in person at one of our office (Ottawa, Kingston, Pembroke, Carleton Place, Perth).

If you have documents that will help the lawyer understand your situation, it is a good idea to send them to the lawyer before your first meeting.  You may also want to review the Law Society’s guide on “Preparing to meet your lawyer”.

What Will the Lawyer Ask About

During the initial consultation, the lawyer will have all kinds of questions.  The lawyer will not only ask about the accident itself but also ask about things like:

• Work history
• Medical History
• Your injuries and how they have affected you
• Your diagnoses, prognosis, and any planned treatments
• Your hobbies and family responsibilities both before and after the accident

What Will the Lawyer Explain?

Once the lawyer has asked these questions, the lawyer will explain the legal landscape as it applies to your situation:

• what your potential claim looks like
• what the process involves
• what you might realistically expect

The lawyer will also discuss recommended next steps, whether that means gathering records, sending a notice letter, opening a file, or simply giving you the information you need to make an informed decision about how to proceed.

This consultation is an opportunity for you to ask questions too. We want you to leave the meeting with a clear sense of where things stand and what working with our firm would look like.

It’s important to know that every case is different and every initial consult is different.  Some consults are quick, others are long.  Sometimes the lawyer will ask you to get more information and a certain document and then call back.  It all depends on the circumstances of the case.

The initial consultation is entirely free and there is no obligation on you to hire us or sign a retainer agreement after the meeting.

Why We Do It This Way

We understand that hiring a lawyer is a big decision.  We want to make sure that you have had a chance to speak with us and do your research on injury lawyers before making any commitments.

At the same time, we want to make sure that we are the right fit for your case.  If we move forward together, we’re doing so because we genuinely believe we can help. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you honestly and do our best to point you toward someone who is.

We know that reaching out to a law firm for the first time can feel like a big step. Our team is there to make that step easier, to answer basic questions, put you at ease, and make sure you’re in the right hands before anything else happens.

Ready to Reach Out?

If you’ve been injured or believe you may have a legal claim, we encourage you to call us. The first conversation costs you nothing, and it could make all the difference.