The first few days after you hire a lawyer are when organized paperwork saves the most time. You don't need to send everything at once, and you don't need to know which documents matter. You just need to make it easy for your lawyer to see what you have.
Before any documents, write a few sentences: what happened, who is involved, what you want to happen, and any date you know is coming up. Your lawyer will ask better questions if they read this first.
Send the documents that define the situation: any contract, lease, policy, estimate or agreement; letters or notices you've received; and anything with a deadline on it. If you're not sure whether something matters, list it rather than leaving it out.
A simple list of dates and what happened on each is worth more than a long story. Include calls and conversations, not just paperwork, and note who you spoke with.
Name files so they sort by date (for example "2026-03-04 landlord notice.pdf"). Send one organized email or shared folder rather than a stream of separate messages, and say in the email what's attached.
End your first message with: "Is there anything else you need from me, and by when?" Write the answer down. That's the first item on your list of whose turn it is.
This page is general organizing advice, not legal advice. Your lawyer may ask for things in a different order, and their instructions come first.
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and send or print it.
Hi [Name], Thanks for taking this on. A short summary: - What happened: [two or three sentences] - Who is involved: [names] - What I'd like to happen: [outcome] - Dates coming up: [date and what it is] Attached: 1. [document] ([date]) 2. [document] ([date]) 3. Timeline of what happened, with dates Is there anything else you need from me, and by when? Thanks, [Your name]
Wherewithal is an organizational tool only. Not legal advice. Consider consulting a licensed attorney.