There is nothing that your attorney cannot figure out given enough time.
But that’s expensive.
The client who appears for a meeting with a shoe box full of documents in disassociated condition will pay more in attorneys fees just to get organized or to have the attorney organize their files.
I just met with a client who arrived with two three ring binders:
One for her and one for me.
There was a short (1/2 page) story as an introduction, and a longer, more complete version following that. Each “fact” was tied to an exhibit in the notebook, neatly placed behind marked dividers. Finally, the client laid out three specific goals she wanted to achieve, together with four specific questions.
It took about 30 minutes to review the entire binder.
By the end of one hour, we had a plan. The client left knowing what we were going to do, what it would cost and what goals were expected to be achieved. She knew what risks she was taking and what could be gained and what could be lost. And on top of all that, money was saved.
Not every client is in a position to be this organized, but the closer a client can get to that, the less money will be spent just getting started.