Page 12 March 2012 This month’s report from attorney Jennifer Cranston Whether involved in a lawsuit or seeking general legal guidance on personal or business matters, here are a few tips to making the most out of the fi rst meeting with a new attorney. Timeline. Spend some time prior to the meeting preparing an outline of key facts and events in chronological order. This process will focus your mind on the important issues. It also will help your attorney get up to speed more quickly. Documents . As you prepare your outline, you probably will identify some key documents your attorney should see. Make an extra copy of these to bring to the meeting and leave with the attorney. If you don’t know which documents will be important to the representation, err on the side of providing more documents than fewer. Logistics . Also, give some thought and be prepared to discuss your communication preferences. How do you communicate most effectively, in writing or verbally? Do you prefer emails, letters, or faxes? Is there a particular phone number that is best (cell, work, or home)? What is the best time to reach you? Money. Attorneys are in a service industry and want to help clients to the best of our abilities. But, law is also a business. So be prepared to discuss how much the representation is going to cost, on an hourly or fl at-fee basis. Also, many attorneys will require a retainer to open a new fi le, so be prepared to make an initial payment (similar to a rental cleaning or security deposit), which will be held as security in case you fall behind on your payments and will be returned at the conclusion of the representation. Next Steps. At the end of the meeting, make sure you reach a clear understanding with your attorney regarding the next steps of the representation. Who will do what and when? Who will contact who? Finally, as you move forward with the representation, your lawyer will do his or her best to serve your interests. But please remember we are human – we have limitations on how much we can accomplish in a given timeframe and we have other clients to whom we owe obligations as well. Also, sometimes we make mistakes; big ones are not excusable, but please try to be understanding about the little ones. Arcadia resident Jennifer A. Cranston is a shareholder at Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A. and the 2012 president of the Maricopa County Bar Association. For more information go to www.gknet.com. A BREAKDOWN IS A BREAKDOWN IS NEVER LUCKY. NEVER LUCKY. SCHEDULE YOUR SUMMER TUNE-UP! SCHEDULE YOUR SUMMER TUNE-UP! Family Owned & Operated Licensed, Bonded & Insured Service & Install on all Makes & Models Free Estimates on New Equipment RESIDENT Ʈ AL & COM 0( R ǨƮ AL RESIDENT Ʈ AL & COM 0( R ǨƮ AL REBATES & CREDITS AVAILABLE! I Ǖ6 TA ǒ L $ N Ʃ W I Ǖ6 TA ǒ L $ N Ʃ W ENV , ƺǖ ƴ 0 ENTA dz ǒ Y ENV , ƺǖ ƴ 0 ENTA dz ǒ Y F ƺ , E ǕLjǒ Y $ /C ǜ ǣ67 Ʃ 0 ! F ƺ , E ǕLjǒ Y $ /C ǜ ǣ67 Ʃ 0 ! ROC Licenses: 80131, 80132, 80133 R E F R I G E R AT I O N  A I R C O N D I T I O N I N G  R E S I D E N T I A L  C O M M E R C I A L 3231 East Washington 602-957-3745 www.AccuTempAZ.com Bill Murley, President ACCUTEMP IS AN APS/SRP QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR $ /C • H Ʃ $ TI Ǖ G • Ʊ OW 7 Ʃǔ P • , Ǩ( M $Ǩƭ IN ( & M 2 R ( ! $ /C • H Ʃ $ TI Ǖ G • Ʊ OW 7 Ʃǔ P • , Ǩ( M $Ǩƭ IN ( & M 2 R ( ! 602-526-1213 Anna@AnnaMcDowell.com www.AnnaMcDowell.com ABR, CRS, GRI Arcadia resident & parent proudly serving the neighborhood for 16 years. Mai’s M o rt g ag e C o rn e r Are you underwater with your current mortgage? Need to re Į nance? It’s important to periodically review the terms of your mortgage loan in comparison to what’s currently available in the lending market. Depending on your circumstances and goals, it may be a good Ɵ me to re Į nance your loan. Call me today to discuss your op Ɵ ons. R e a l E s tat e News Market Showing The Ɵ me to buy is now! Prices are back on the rise and the supply of homes has become very low, frequently resul Ɵ ng in mul Ɵ ple o ī ers. Combine this with historic low interest rates and it’s clear that the Ɵ me to buy is now! Call or e-mail me today for more informa Ɵ on. 602 Anna www The Ɵ me to bu of homes mul Ɵ ple rates Call Anna McD owell 4002 N 54th Place • $895,000 4 beds + o ĸ ce / 3.5 baths • 3226 s.f. www.CobaltMortgage.com/YahnTeam M ai Yahn 602.314.8450 New Signs of Life

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