Free legal planning toolkit

Legal Preparation Tools

Organize information, prepare useful questions, and make your next conversation with an attorney more productive.

These tools help with practical preparation. They do not evaluate a case, calculate legal deadlines, predict an outcome, or replace advice from a qualified attorney.

Works entirely in your browser
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Private by design: the information you enter is processed on this device. AttorneyHelp.org does not receive, store, or review your entries. Avoid entering Social Security numbers, complete financial account numbers, passwords, or other unnecessary sensitive information.
General information only: these organizational tools are not legal advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and procedures vary by jurisdiction and circumstance.

Before you meet an attorney

Prepare & Organize

Turn scattered notes and documents into a clearer starting point for a legal consultation.

Start here

Consultation Preparation Tool

Create a private, printable overview of your concern, goals, important facts, documents, and questions for an attorney.

Prepare for a consultation
Put events in order

Case Timeline Builder

Arrange user-entered events by date, connect them with documents, and print or download a chronological summary.

Build a timeline
Gather records

Legal Document Checklist

Generate a general preparation list for common legal topics and add your own documents before meeting an attorney.

Create a checklist

Understand practical details

Compare & Plan

Explore fee scenarios and create reminders for dates that you have already confirmed.

Compare scenarios

Attorney Fee Calculator

Illustrate hourly, flat-fee, and contingency arrangements using figures from a proposed fee agreement or consultation.

Compare fee estimates
Known dates only

Deadline Reminder Planner

Turn a deadline you have already confirmed into advance reminder dates and an optional calendar file.

Plan deadline reminders

A practical sequence

Prepare for legal help in three steps

Each tool works independently, but this order can make it easier to move from initial notes to an organized consultation.

  1. 1Record what happenedUse the timeline and document checklist to gather facts and records without trying to reach a legal conclusion.
  2. 2Prepare your questionsCreate a concise consultation summary covering your goals, important facts, and questions for the attorney.
  3. 3Confirm the next stepsDiscuss fees, responsibilities, and deadlines with a qualified attorney, then record confirmed dates in your own calendar.

What these tools can and cannot do

Good preparation can help you explain a concern more clearly and use consultation time efficiently. These tools provide neutral prompts and arithmetic based only on information you supply. They do not analyze whether a legal claim exists, recommend a course of action, determine which law applies, or assess the qualifications of a particular attorney.

If you face an urgent safety concern, an approaching court date, an arrest, possible deportation, loss of housing, or another time-sensitive matter, contact an appropriate attorney, court, legal aid organization, or emergency service directly rather than relying on a website tool.

Last updated: July 23, 2026.