Telephone & Zoom Consultations
Zoom Legal Consultation with a Virginia Lawyer
Sometimes you just need to speak to a Virginia attorney! You may have called a number of law firms and can’t get an attorney on the phone. Good news! At Thomas H. Roberts & Associates, PC, we are in touch with the public. We are often able to point you in the right direction.
How do I arrange a telephone or Zoom consultation with a Virginia lawyer? Follow these four steps.
Conflict check: make sure we don’t represent the other side
The first thing we must do is make sure that we do not have a conflict—that we do not represent the adverse party.
Text or email us:
Suggested message:
Prepare your case file
Prepare for the call! Lawyers are busy and charge for their time, opinion, and expertise. The better organized your information, the more we can accomplish in your consultation.
Frame a simple statement of the problem
- I was injured in a car accident.
- I was injured as a result of the negligence of another.
- I was defamed by the following statement exact words, on dates, by name of person/entity defaming you. The statement was read or heard by names if known, or “public”. This caused the following harm…
- I was falsely arrested by Officer name on date, and the charges/trial ended on date.
- I suffered damages when name/entity breached the contract.
Set up a Google Drive folder for your case
We ask every prospective client to organize their evidence and case information in a Google Drive folder so it is secure, backed up, and easy for your legal team to review. Set it up now, but do not share it with us until we confirm there is no conflict and you have paid the consultation fee (Steps 1, 3, and 4).
- Get the app. Download the free “Google Drive” app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android), or use any web browser at drive.google.com.
- Use a Google (Gmail) account. If you don’t have one, the app will walk you through creating a free account. It can be dedicated solely to your case.
- Create these subfolders:
ChronologyWitnessesEvidence and ExhibitsDamagesMedical and Counseling RecordsPhotos and Video
- Scan documents with your phone. In the Drive app, tap “+” and choose “Scan.” Scan all pages of a multi-page document in one session so it saves as a single PDF. Use good light, avoid shadows and glare, hold the phone directly over the page, and retake anything blurry.
- Name every file clearly, starting with the date and a short description—not “Scan1” or “IMG_4521.”
2026-09-11_ER_Bill_VCU_Medical_Center.pdf2026-08-30_Photo_Bruising_Left_Arm.jpg2026-08-15_Police_Report.pdf
Create these working documents in your folder
A bullet outline, in date order, of everything that happened: date and time, what happened, who was there, where, and what was said. Add and date new entries as events occur.
Everyone with relevant knowledge: full name, address, phone, email, what they know, and what they would likely say. If you think a witness may not tell the truth, say why.
Every photo, video, document, text, email, or object: its file name (or location), what it is, and what you believe it shows. Update it whenever you add a file.
Your losses by category—medical bills, lost wages, property damage, out-of-pocket costs—with how you calculated each and the exhibits that support it. You need not put a number on pain, suffering, or emotional distress.
If you received treatment: each provider’s name and contact information, dates seen, treatment, cost, and where the records are. Include every provider, even ones that seem minor.
A list of the questions you want answered during the consultation.
If you received medical treatment and are seeking money for your injuries, tell us whether Medicare, Medicaid, or health insurance paid any of your bills; liens may need to be identified.
Preserve evidence. Do not delete or destroy anything.
Once litigation is reasonably foreseeable, you have a legal duty to preserve evidence that may be relevant—whether it helps or hurts you. See Va. Code § 8.01-379.2:1; Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(e). If evidence is lost through reckless or intentional conduct, a court may instruct the jury to presume it was unfavorable to you, or even dismiss your case. Do not throw away, repair, sell, reset, or alter:
- Any vehicle, product, clothing, or object involved in the incident.
- Photos and videos—even ones that seem unimportant or unflattering.
- Your phone, texts, call logs, voicemails, emails, and app or location data.
- Social media accounts, posts, photos, and messages—do not delete old content.
- Receipts, bills, estimates, letters, and paperwork connected to the incident.
- Computer files and emails related to what happened.
When in doubt, keep it and ask us.
Be careful on social media
- Do not post about the incident, your injuries, treatment, damages, or how the case is going—including in private messages and group texts.
- If you claim a physical injury, do not post or allow yourself to be tagged in photos or videos of physical activity.
- Do not post about the other side, witnesses, the judge, or any attorney.
- Do not accept friend or follow requests from people you don’t know.
- Set accounts to private—but don’t rely on privacy settings, and don’t delete existing content.
Pay the consultation fee
You will need to pay a flat fee of $400.00 into the firm’s trust account, which covers up to one hour of an attorney’s time.
If the consultation extends past one hour, you will be charged between $400 and $600 per hour, depending on which attorney you are conferring with.
What to expect
We will review the issues and facts related to the matter(s) you wish us to review and provide you our legal opinions based on those facts.
No guarantee of representation
During the consultation, we can discuss whether the firm would be willing to represent you and on what terms. There is no guarantee that the firm will agree to represent you, even if the case has merit. If the firm agrees to represent you beyond the initial consultation, we will require a written fee agreement.
Unless and until (1) you and the firm have signed a written fee agreement, and (2) you have paid the trust deposit required by that written fee agreement, Thomas H. Roberts & Associates, PC does not represent you beyond the consultation.
Until then, you alone remain responsible for every notice requirement, statute of limitations, and filing deadline in your matter. Some deadlines are very short, and missing one can permanently bar your claim. Do not rely on the firm to protect those deadlines unless and until we have agreed in writing to represent you. The firm does not monitor, calendar, or track any deadline for you—even if we have consulted with you, reviewed your documents, or have access to your Google Drive folder—unless and until we have agreed in writing to represent you and the required trust deposit has been paid.
Share your folder and email us to schedule
After we have confirmed there is no conflict and you have paid the consultation fee, share your Google Drive folder and email us to arrange your consultation.
Share your folder
- In Google Drive, open your case folder and tap or click Share—or upload your files to the shared folder the firm provides to you.
- Enter the email address the firm gives you, set access to Editor or Viewer as we direct, and send.
- Keep adding documents to the folder as you find them—we will have ongoing access.
Email us to schedule
Send an email to contact@robertslaw.org letting us know that you have paid the fee and shared your folder. Include:
- Your name, address, email, and telephone number.
- Confirmation that you paid the $400 consultation fee.
- Confirmation that you shared your Google Drive folder.
- The best days and times to arrange the consultation, and whether you prefer telephone or Zoom.
Information on this page is not legal advice. Contacting the firm or having a consultation does not create an ongoing attorney-client relationship; the firm represents you only after a written fee agreement is signed and the required trust deposit is paid. All notice, statute-of-limitations, and filing deadlines remain your responsibility until then. See our Disclaimer.
