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Legal Consultation

Initial Intake and Case Overview

A new client meets with a legal assistant or junior lawyer to provide an initial summary of their legal issue, presenting relevant documents and outlining their concerns.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
Legal Assistant (Female)
Good morning, Mr. Chen. Thank you for coming in. I'm Ava, a legal assistant here. Attorney Davis will be joining us shortly, but first, could you please give me a brief overview of the situation you're seeking advice on?
2
Client (Male)
Good morning, Ava. Certainly. I'm here regarding a commercial dispute with a former business partner. We had an agreement for a joint venture, but it fell apart, and I believe they've breached several clauses of our contract.
3
Legal Assistant (Female)
I see. And do you have any documentation that outlines this agreement, such as a written contract or emails? It would be very helpful to see those.
4
Client (Male)
Yes, I have a copy of the partnership agreement here, along with some correspondence that details the issues that arose. I've highlighted the specific clauses I believe were violated.
5
Legal Assistant (Female)
Excellent, thank you. That will give us a good starting point. Could you also briefly explain the main concerns or outcome you're hoping to achieve through legal action?
6
Client (Male)
My primary concern is recovering the investment I made, and potentially seeking damages for lost profits. I also want to prevent them from using any intellectual property we developed together.
7
Legal Assistant (Female)
Understood. Recovering investment and protecting intellectual property. That's clear. We'll certainly look into all avenues. Is there anything else you think is important for us to know at this initial stage?
8
Client (Male)
Well, they've recently started a competing business, which feels like a direct violation of our non-compete clause. I have some marketing materials from their new venture here as well.
9
Legal Assistant (Female)
Thank you, Mr. Chen. This information is very helpful in forming a preliminary understanding. Attorney Davis should be here any moment, and we can go through these details with him. He'll be able to provide a more in-depth assessment.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

overview

A brief summary or general description of something. Use it when you want to give a quick summary of a situation, like in meetings or consultations.

dispute

A disagreement or argument between people or groups, often in business or legal contexts. It's useful for describing conflicts, such as 'a commercial dispute'.

breached

Past tense of 'breach', meaning to break or violate a rule or agreement. Common in legal English, like 'breached the contract'.

clauses

Specific sections or parts of a contract or legal document. Use this word when referring to parts of agreements, e.g., 'several clauses'.

documentation

Official papers or documents that prove or support something. In legal situations, it means things like contracts or emails to show evidence.

intellectual property

Ideas, inventions, or creative works that are protected by law, like trademarks or copyrights. Important in business for protecting shared ideas.

non-compete clause

A part of a contract that prevents someone from starting a competing business for a certain time. Useful in business agreements to avoid competition.

preliminary

Initial or early stage, before full details. Use it for first steps, like 'preliminary understanding' in consultations.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

Could you please give me a brief overview of the situation you're seeking advice on?

This is a polite request for a summary. Use it in professional settings to ask for key details. The structure 'Could you please + verb' makes it courteous and formal for consultations.

I'm here regarding a commercial dispute with a former business partner.

This introduces the purpose of a visit. 'Regarding' means 'about', useful for stating reasons in meetings. It's a clear way to explain your issue at the start.

I believe they've breached several clauses of our contract.

Expresses an opinion about a violation. 'I believe' softens the statement, good for legal talks. The past tense 'breached' shows completed action; use this to describe contract problems.

Do you have any documentation that outlines this agreement?

Asks for supporting documents. 'Outlines' means describes clearly. This sentence is practical for gathering evidence; the question form 'Do you have...?' is direct yet polite.

My primary concern is recovering the investment I made.

States the main worry or goal. 'Primary concern' highlights importance; use this structure to explain priorities in advice-seeking, like in legal or business discussions.

We'll certainly look into all avenues.

Promises to investigate options. 'Look into' means examine; 'all avenues' means all possible ways. Useful for reassuring clients; it's professional and positive.

This information is very helpful in forming a preliminary understanding.

Thanks and explains value. 'Forming a preliminary understanding' means building an initial view. Use this to acknowledge input in initial meetings; gerund 'forming' shows ongoing action.

He'll be able to provide a more in-depth assessment.

Refers to future expert help. 'In-depth' means detailed; future 'will be able to' shows capability. Good for transitioning in consultations, explaining next steps.