Questions for Your First Lawyer Meeting

Why your questions matter

A first meeting with a lawyer is short and can be stressful. Without preparation, it is easy to leave more worried and with fewer answers than you hoped.

The fix is simple: write your questions down, grouped by topic, and bring them.

Article 5(3) of the Federal Constitution gives you the right to consult a lawyer of your choice ^[f4]. Good questions help you use that meeting well.

Questions about your case

Start with the case itself. Ask which section of the law you may be facing, what it means and how serious it is.

Useful questions:

• What exactly am I suspected of, and under which law?
• What are the possible outcomes, honestly?
• What are the strong and weak points of my position?

You are not asking for a promise. You are asking for an honest picture of where you stand.

Notice how the lawyer answers. A straight answer that admits uncertainty is worth more than a confident one that skips the hard parts.

Questions about the freeze

If your account is frozen, ask about the freeze separately. The freeze and the criminal case follow different rules.

Ask how long the freeze can last and what decides that. An AMLA s44 freeze ends after 90 days if you are not charged. Under s52A, a seizure or freeze order lapses after 18 months if you are not charged or no prosecution is started ^[f1]. Ask which one applies to you.

Also ask whether you can get some money released for living or business costs. If the freeze is an AMLA s44 order, s44A lets you apply in writing to the agency that issued it, and a more senior officer decides ^[f2]. Ask whether that route is open to you and how long it may take.

Questions about the process

Ask what happens next and in what order, so each step does not come as a shock.

Useful questions:

• What are the likely stages from here?
• What will be expected of me at each stage?
• Roughly how long could this take?

Also ask what you should and should not do right now, such as whether to give a statement and what to keep. A wrong move before advice can be hard to undo.

Questions about fees

Do not be shy about money. Ask what the fee is, what it covers and what it does not.

Ask whether you will be charged a fixed fee, by the hour or in stages, what could make the cost go up, and how and when you pay. Bar Council guidance supports clear talk about costs ^[f3], so a good lawyer will answer openly.

Get the fee terms in writing if you can. Clear terms at the start prevent arguments later and help you plan.

Getting the most from the meeting

Bring your documents: identity card, any freeze or police notice, statements and relevant screenshots. They let the lawyer answer precisely.

Take notes. If you do not understand an answer, say so and ask again.

Leave with three things clear: where you stand, what happens next and what it will cost. One last useful question: what is the most important thing I should do, or avoid, this week?

If you do not yet have a lawyer to ask, you can message us on WhatsApp and ask to be referred to one who handles frozen account and mule account cases.

Sources

1. https://www.lawnet.com.my/amla-2001
2. https://www.malaysianbar.org.my/
3. https://www.lawnet.com.my/federal-constitution