Before Hiring a Lawyer,
Understand What Actually Makes Sense for Your Case.
Not every legal dispute needs to become a lawsuit, and not every lawsuit is worth the time, cost, and uncertainty involved. Before taking legal action, we believe you should first understand your legal position, the evidence available, the potential risks, and the realistic options for moving forward.
Book a Legal Consultation →No obligation to retain our firm after the consultation. Understand your case first, then decide what comes next.
Why do we recommend speaking with a lawyer before deciding to sue?
The value of legal services is not simply getting a case into court. A lawyer should also help you determine whether litigation is the right strategy in the first place.
Having a legal problem does not automatically mean you need a lawsuit.
Some disputes may be resolved through negotiation, mediation, a lawyer's letter, contractual arrangements, evidence preservation, or other legal measures. If a less expensive and faster approach can achieve the same objective, going directly to court may not be necessary.
Having a legal claim and having a worthwhile case are not the same thing.
Even where the law may support a claim, practical considerations still matter: available evidence, probability of success, recoverable damages, enforceability, time, legal fees, and the other side's likely response. These should be assessed before significant resources are committed.
Getting the strategy right early can prevent unnecessary cost later.
Many of the most important decisions in a legal matter are made before litigation begins. Clarifying the legal relationship, identifying evidentiary gaps, and choosing the correct strategy early may prevent avoidable expense and complications later.
Why do we charge for the initial legal consultation?
We charge for legal consultations because the lawyer's professional judgment and time are themselves part of the legal service. This also allows the first meeting to focus on analyzing your case, rather than simply trying to persuade you to retain the firm.
What a free consultation may be designed to do
Different firms use free consultations in different ways. In some service models, the initial meeting primarily functions as case screening, a preliminary discussion of the client's needs, or an explanation of potential engagement options.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this model. However, the depth of the discussion may not be the same as a consultation specifically designed to provide substantive legal analysis.
We treat the consultation itself as a professional legal service.
Based on the information and documents you provide, we will analyze the legal issues, your current position, potential risks, available strategies, and the advantages and disadvantages of the different options.
Even if our conclusion is that litigation is not advisable, or that a non-litigation strategy would be more cost-effective, that may still be a valuable outcome of the consultation.
In practice, clients sometimes come to us believing that filing a lawsuit is the obvious next step. After reviewing the evidence, likely costs, risks, and potential results, some ultimately choose negotiation, mediation, or another approach that resolves the dispute more efficiently.
From the first consultation to deciding whether to retain a lawyer.
You do not need to commit to full legal representation before you understand the direction of your case. We begin with a consultation, evaluate the matter, discuss the available options, and only then discuss whether further legal services are appropriate.
Book a Legal Consultation
Select a convenient consultation time and provide us with basic background information and the most important documents before the meeting whenever possible. This allows the lawyer to better understand the dispute and use the consultation time efficiently.
Case & Risk Assessment
We examine the legal relationship between the parties, the available evidence, potential legal risks, arguments the other side may raise, and the practical value of pursuing the matter.
Discuss the Available Legal Options
Depending on the case, the appropriate approach may involve litigation, negotiation, mediation, a lawyer's letter, preparation of legal documents, evidence preservation, settlement strategy, or another form of legal assistance.
Decide Whether to Retain the Firm
Once you understand the legal direction, possible strategies, scope of work, and anticipated fees, you can decide whether you would like to formally retain our firm and which form of legal service best suits your needs.
The goal is to leave the consultation knowing what your next step should be.
A meaningful legal consultation should do more than answer “Can I sue?” It should turn a complicated dispute into information you can actually use to make a decision.
Legal Position
Understand your rights, obligations, and the legal risks you may currently face.
Evidence Assessment
Determine whether your existing evidence is sufficient and what additional evidence may be worth obtaining.
Available Options
Compare litigation and non-litigation strategies and understand the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Cost & Practical Value
Consider time, legal fees, risks, potential recovery, and likely outcomes together before deciding how to proceed.
If you are uncertain about your next step, that is often when a consultation is most useful.
You do not need to know exactly what legal service you need before contacting us. Determining the appropriate course of action is part of the consultation itself.
A consultation may be particularly useful if:
- You are unsure whether your dispute is worth taking to court.
- You have received a lawyer's letter, court document, prosecutor's notice, or other legal correspondence in Taiwan.
- You are considering divorce, a family dispute, an employment dispute, criminal action, or a civil claim.
- You are unsure whether your current evidence is sufficient.
- You want to know whether there are alternatives to litigation.
- You would like to understand the strategy and likely legal costs before formally retaining a lawyer.
- You are a foreign national dealing with a legal matter in Taiwan and are unfamiliar with the local legal process.
- You are outside Taiwan and need to understand whether the matter can be handled remotely or through legal representation.
You are not required to retain us after the consultation.
Some clients decide to retain our firm for full representation. Others only need assistance with a legal document, lawyer's letter, negotiation, or a later consultation.
In some cases, a client may decide after the consultation that taking no immediate legal action is the most appropriate choice. We consider all of these potentially successful outcomes.
The purpose is to help you make an informed decision after understanding the risks, costs, and available options.
Choosing a lawyer also means choosing someone you can work with.
Once a matter proceeds into litigation or longer-term legal representation, the lawyer and client effectively work as a team. Professional ability matters, but so do communication, expectations, and whether both sides share a similar understanding of the case strategy.
The initial consultation therefore also gives you an opportunity to understand how the lawyer communicates, analyzes legal issues, and approaches strategy. At the same time, the lawyer can evaluate whether the matter is appropriate for the firm to undertake.
Common Questions Before Booking
Q: Do I have to retain your firm after the consultation?
No. The legal consultation is an independent professional service. After understanding your legal position and options, you can decide for yourself whether you would like further assistance.
Q: Is the consultation still worthwhile if the lawyer ultimately advises against filing a lawsuit?
Yes. Learning that a particular legal action may not be cost-effective can prevent unnecessary expense, time, and risk. There may also be other strategies that are better suited to your objectives.
Q: Can you estimate legal fees during the consultation?
Yes. Once we understand the facts, legal issues, and likely scope of work, we can explain the available service options and, where appropriate, provide a quotation for further representation.
Q: What should I prepare before the consultation?
We recommend preparing a brief timeline of events, important contracts or documents, relevant messages or correspondence, court or prosecutor's documents, and the main questions you would like the lawyer to address. The more organized the information is, the more effectively the consultation time can be used.
Q: Can I consult with you if I do not live in Taiwan?
Yes. We regularly assist foreign clients and clients who are currently located outside Taiwan. Legal consultations can be conducted online, and depending on the nature of the matter, certain legal procedures may also be handled through legal representation in Taiwan.
Before committing more time and money, understand where your case actually stands.
Whether you are considering filing a lawsuit, responding to a legal claim, negotiating a settlement, or simply do not know what your next step should be, a legal consultation can be the place to start.
English Legal Consultation: NT$8,000 / hour
Book a Legal Consultation →No obligation to retain our firm after the consultation.