CLIENT COUNSELLING AND INTERVIEWING FORMAT
This format is for the team of counsels, preferably two.
THIS IS FOR COUNSEL ONE
THIS IS FOR COUNSEL TWO
INTRODUCTION PART
Hi I hope the internet connection is fine and you can see and hear us, if there is any
internet issue we will surely help you out
Hi Good afternoon, I am xyz Yadav I am a practicing advocate and this is my colleague
Mr abc Sharma
We are junior partners as xyz abc associates,
Hi I am abc sharma
Is this the first time you are visiting an advocate or a lawyer’s office?
Irrespective of if he says Yes or No still explain him the procedure that you will follow
I will explain you the procedure that is followed in our office when a client visits for the
first time.
1. First of all we will explain you the basic procedures about a client counselling
session (Confidentiality+Coflict of Interest+Client Counsel Privilege)
2. So today we will first of all try to know about your problem, this will take place
by asking you questions.
3. Secondly, one of us would summarize it for our benefit.
4. And lastly we would advise you solutions and courses of actions.
I.Now I will explain you about confidentiality, So whatever we say in this session will be
100 percent confidential i.e. we cannot tell this to any person and all the talks that happen
within this room cannot go out of our firm.
II.Secondly, the talks between the client and an advocate is privileged, that is nobody can
ask us to depose this in a court of law and all the notes and documents made during this
session will remain with us only. (For example if you tell me that you have committed a
murder, even the we cannot become a witness in your case)
III.Thirdly, We do not have any conflict of interest with the opposite party, i.e. we have not
represented the opposite party in any manner anywhere.
INTERVIEWING THE CLIENT
Now please tell me what brings you here? (start asking open ended question- open ended
means those questions which cannot have a short answer or cannot be answered in a yes/
no)
