Quick answer
Get legal help quickly if there is a deadline, court date, loss of money, risk to status, pressure to sign, missing documents, or a decision that could be hard to undo. If you need free or low-cost legal help, early triage can prevent the wrong first step.
Key takeaways
- Get legal help quickly if there is a deadline, court date, loss of money, risk to status, pressure to sign, missing documents, or a decision that could be hard to undo. If you need free or low-cost legal help, early triage can prevent the wrong first step.
- Create a one-page summary with names, dates, documents received, money involved, deadlines and the outcome you want. Put the strongest source document first. If there is a court date, referral date, expiry date, complaint deadline or payment deadline, place that date at the top of the file.