First thing, write one sentence about your situation so you don’t ramble (“month-to-month place, deposit in limbo, need next steps within two weeks”), then pull a local list and filter by the lanes that match—tenancy/contract, real estate, or small claims—because general practice can mean different things; from there, shortlisting two or three options within easy distance helped, and I always send the same three-bullet message: what happened, what outcome I’m hoping for, and my timeline; whoever replies within a business day with a concrete next step gets the consult; for a neutral starting point I keep Lawyers in Prince Rupert, BC bookmarked, then I open a couple of profiles to check hours, contact method, and whether they mention my exact scenario; during the call I ask for a plain-English map of the first 30 days—letters to send, documents to gather, decision points where I can still pivot—and I get numbers on the table early: expected retainer, hourly vs. flat for specific tasks, and what counts as “extras” like filings or courier costs; I also bring a one-page packet (dates, notices, photos) so the minutes focus on options instead of digging through my inbox; last filter is vibe—do they explain without condescension and give me at least two realistic paths (quick resolution vs. push further) while flagging risks; the one who did all that got my yes, and it calmed down faster than I expected.
Educate. Empower. Act. The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators and communities of the world with water education.
