# Your first consultation

Open the consultations and remove the filter to see them all, record one for a client with its lawyers and deadline, approve it so the lawyers start drafting, and mark it done once the response and the advice are written.

This tutorial walks one consultation through its whole life: a client asks the firm a legal question, the firm records it, accepts it, answers it and closes it. You need the **User: Own Documents** level or higher on **Consulting** (in the **Legal Rights** section of your user), and at least one lawyer and one client in Jaah.

## What you will do {#what-you-will-do}

- Open the consultations and see all of them.
- Record a consultation with its client, lawyers and deadline.
- Approve it, so the lawyers start drafting.
- Mark it done once the answer is written.

## 1. Open the consultations {#open-the-consultations}

Open **Consulting/Consultations**. The list opens on the filter **My Consultations**: the consultations where you are one of the lawyers. Click **Remove** on the filter to see every consultation of the firm. Each card shows the number, the state, the subject, the client and the deadline.

![Every consultation of the firm, once the My Consultations filter is removed.](https://jaah.app/web/image/7789-7f858d07/law-consulting-first-consultation-consultations_all-en.png)

## 2. Record a consultation {#record-a-consultation}

1. Click **New**.
2. Type the **Subject**, the question in a few words.
3. Pick the **Client**, set the **Deadline**, the date by which the firm answers, and pick one or more **Lawyers**.
4. Write the client's question in **Inquiry**. **Oppositions** and **Third Parties** list the other parties when there are any.

![A new consultation with its subject, client, deadline and lawyer.](https://jaah.app/web/image/7793-6efb151c/law-consulting-first-consultation-new_consultation-en.png)

5. Click the cloud icon **Save manually**. The consultation gets its number and stays a **Draft**.

## 3. Approve it {#approve-it}

Open **Actions** and choose **Approve**. The state becomes **Approved**, and two tabs appear: **Response**, for the answer, and **Advice**, for the firm's recommendation.

![Approved; the Response and Advice tabs are open for the answer.](https://jaah.app/web/image/7797-edc5dd6b/law-consulting-first-consultation-consultation_approved-en.png)

Write the answer in **Response** and the recommendation in **Advice**. **Actions** › **Send Report** emails the consultation report to the client when it is ready.

## 4. Mark it done {#mark-it-done}

Open **Actions** and choose **Mark Done**. A consultation without an invoice asks first: click **Mark Done Without Invoice** here (billing is covered in [Bill a consultation](bill-a-consultation)). The state becomes **Done**, and the consultation leaves the work in progress.

![The consultation is done.](https://jaah.app/web/image/7801-2f2b9753/law-consulting-first-consultation-consultation_done-en.png)

## Next steps {#next-steps}

- [Record a consultation](record-a-consultation), including one that starts from a client request.
- [Approve or reject a consultation](approve-or-reject-a-consultation).
- [Answer a consultation and close it](answer-and-close-a-consultation).
- [Bill a consultation](bill-a-consultation).

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/law-consulting/first-consultation
- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Version: Consultations 19.0.1.0.28
- Verified: 2026-10-13