Free Car Accident Consultation: What to Expect
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A free consultation is a meeting in which a lawyer learns enough about your crash to say whether and how the firm would take the case, and you learn enough to decide whether to hire that lawyer. Bringing the right documents makes the meeting useful, and asking about the fee agreement, the deadlines, and the plan for liens and insurance tells you what you would be signing up for. A consultation alone does not mean the lawyer has agreed to represent you or is watching your deadlines.
What to bring
| Document | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Police report number or copy | Fault, parties, insurers |
| Photographs and video | How the crash happened, vehicle damage |
| Your insurance policy and declarations page | Your UM coverage, medical payments, notice terms |
| The other driver's insurance information | Liability limits and the claim number |
| Medical records and bills so far | Injuries, treatment, cost |
| Pay records | Lost wages |
| Letters, emails, and offers from any insurer | What has been said and promised |
| Any release or document you were asked to sign | Whether anything has already been given up |
What the lawyer will evaluate
Liability and any share of fault you may bear; the injuries and the medical picture; the insurance behind the claim; any government defendant, child, or lien that adds legal steps; and the deadlines. For a government defendant, notice to a city is due within six months of the event, which can come before you have finished treatment.
What to ask
- Will the fee be a contingency fee, and what percentage at settlement, trial, and appeal?
- What expenses will be charged, and are they deducted before or after the fee is calculated? Georgia’s professional conduct rules require a contingency agreement to be in writing and to state this.
- Who will handle the case day to day, and how will I get updates?
- What deadlines apply to my claim, and when will the firm act on them?
- How will hospital liens and health plan claims be handled at the end?
The fee terms are explained in how much does a car accident lawyer cost in Georgia, and the work a lawyer does in what a car accident lawyer actually does for your case. Five Macon firms that publish car accident pages are listed in auto accident attorneys in Macon, GA.
After the consultation
Until a written agreement is signed, confirm whether the lawyer is representing you. If not, the deadlines are still yours to track: the two-year bodily injury deadline under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, and any earlier notice deadline. The full calendar is in the Georgia car accident statute of limitations.
Sources
- Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5, State Bar of Georgia handbook (text as published in October 2026).
- O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 (text as published in March 2024); § 36-33-5 (text of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, November 2022 release).
This page describes Georgia law as of October 2026 for general information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.