What is the proper thing to wear to a consultation with a lawyer?

Business casual is a good place to start. After that a good lawyer will tell you what (s)he wants you to wear for court if it gets to that point.

A business suit if you have one. If not, a dress and jacket.

If it’s just for a consultation, I don’t think it really matters. Business casual is pretty standard, but if you’re paying them, they’re not going to care.

I don’t think it matters. You’re hiring the lawyer; the lawyer isn’t hiring you. You’ll be paying this person a lot of money if you move past the consult stage, so you should be able to wear whatever the hell you want.

The lawyer will probably be wearing a suit if this is a business meeting in an office. If you would feel awkward showing up in a rugby outfit, then you should probably wear something along the same lines.

I too would generally recommend business casual, but I would also be thinking about what message I wanted my appearance to convey, depending on why I was seeing the lawyer and what result I was hoping for. I would dress differently for these various messages (just as examples):

I’m a competent professional and anybody’s equal.
Please take care of me.
You can’t touch me. Back off.
I’m innocent and trustworthy.
Think of me as your mom.

You’re in charge. You get to decide whether you’ll engage the lawyer’s services and, if yes, you’ll be paying him/her for the work. Wear whatever you want.

The lawyer, on the other hand, is meeting with a prospective client. He/she has to dress in a manner that will make a good impression on you.

Isn’t it fun, fun, fun to be the boss? :-)

I’m with @Jeruba. I tend to dress according to the way I expect to be treated.

@netgrrl My experiences have been from the other side of the desk. I treated every client, whether prospective or engaged, with complete respect and dignity. It didn’t matter whether the person wore tattered shorts or a business suit; my role was to be professional and provide excellent services, not to make judgments about the client’s appearance.

I, on the other hand, did need to dress in appropriate business clothes. Doing so indicated my full respect for the person sitting in front of me.

@netgrrl I think what I’m trying to say is that you, as the client, should expect to be treated in a certain way. It’s your right in a business transaction, and you don’t need to prove yourself or earn it. If a professional service provider treats you otherwise, turn around and walk away.

@Primobabe GA. If you were going into court would you not coach your client on how best to present him/herself to the judge and jury?

I was with my class in court and a lot of dumb defendants were wearing Tshirts with Pot leaves on them…They were the ones that got jail time and large fines, as compaired to the defendants that showed up in dress clothes. They got community service, suspended sentences or smaller fines.

@WestRiverrat But of course I’d tell a client to dress appropriately for a court appearance. There’s no business relationship between a defendant and the judge or jury. The defendant doesn’t hire those people to provide services or sell goods to him; a courtroom isn’t the free market or a place of business. Although the defendant has the right to justice, he holds no cards and does need to earn respect and prove his worth.

@Primobabe I agree with you in theory. However, not all of the world does the same, and some do judge based upon dress & appearance.

You can’t go wrong with standard business attire.

If it’s with me, anything you like. I’ll be in jeans or sweats.

Nice blue jeans and a pressed shirt, if you are a male. the attorney is interested more in your probable case, rather than your dress code. casual is correct.

Something VERY intimidating, yet which does not give the impression you’re rolling in money. : ))

The one thing that you do not want to do is to wear anything that will cause a distraction from what you have to say. Business casual works best.

Low cut blouse and short skirt if you know whats good for you ;)
BAD JOKE.

Whatever you want. You’re paying.
What you would wear for a court appearance is an entirely different matter.

One legal advisor commented that I was always wearing the Tshirts from the organization that I was filing a personnel action against [since I designed them I felt like they were mine].

Every now and then, I’ll encounter a retail sales clerk who “sizes up” potential customers. If a person’s appearance isn’t swanky enough, the sales clerk decides to be dismissive and ignore the individual.

NEWS FLASH—people with money to spend don’t dress to the nines to go shopping; they wear something comfortable or whatever they otherwise happen to be wearing. A courteous, respectful worker gets the sales commission, and the snooty person—the one who couldn’t be bothered—won’t last very long at the job.

I once wore my Saturday grungies to a high-end luggage and purse store. A sales clerk literally looked me up and down, gave me a disgusted look, and turned her back. Big mistake! I made a substantial purchase from someone else—a helpful, polite young woman who’d provided excellent service.