Before you set out to establish the questions to ask divorce attorney at initial consultation, take a few moments to consider your goals, and the qualities that are most important in a divorce attorney.
No matter our best intentions and efforts, sometimes marriages come to an end. We?ve heard the statistics increase over recent decades; in fact, a study by Bowling Green University found that in some segments the U.S. population, divorce rates have doubled in the past 20 years, and similarly increasing rates occur across demographic sectors. In addition, the rate increases with consecutive marriages, with third marriages showing a 73 percent divorce rate. No matter the reasons or statistics, divorce is unsettling for all involved. Whether you are the one requesting a divorce, or the one being asked for it, it can be a difficult situation that marks the end of an important time in your life, and the beginning of a new one. In order to make that transition go smoothly, it?s important to have an excellent divorce lawyer.
During this time, it?s important that one be supported by positive, trustworthy people. When selecting divorce lawyers, there are a few things to keep in mind. Lawyers specialize, and it can be especially helpful to seek out one that is knowledgeable in the type of marriage relationship you have, whether it includes mediation for child custody, issues specific to military families, non-traditional families, international marriages, and more. Others have extra training in the law surrounding domestic violence situations, or infidelity. When wondering how to find a divorce lawyer, one way to start is by defining the relationship and the type of situation surrounding your divorce. However, recommendations from trusted sources, affordability, and excellent service are likely more important than an attorney?s specialization.
So what are some questions to ask divorce attorney at initial consults? There are so many things to deal with that it can be easy to forget to ask some important questions when first meeting with your divorce lawyer. However, with the categories of experience, costs, communication and requirements, you can remember the basics:
Experience
?Does your firm specialize in divorces, or does it work with a wide range of cases?
?How long have you been practicing family law? How many cases have you handled?
?Are any of your previous clients willing to provide a testimonial about their experience with your firm?
?Will other people be working on my case? If so, who are they and when can I meet them?
Costs
?What’s your estimate of the total cost of this divorce?
?How is the cost broken down into individual fees?
?What are the available payment arrangements?
?What can I do to help keep the costs down?
Communication
?What is your communication policy? How long should I expect to wait for you to return emails or phone calls?
?What if there is an emergency?
?What is your strategy? Can you estimate how long will it take to resolve my case?
?How many other cases are you managing now? Will they interfere with your availability to work on my case?
Requirements
?What paperwork, separation and divorce forms are required? How will we go about completing and submitting those?
?What, if any, time will we spend in court?
?What is an uncontested divorce, and does it apply to my situation?
?How will my children be affected, and is mediation for child custody advisable?
Along with knowing the right questions to ask divorce attorney at initial consults, remember to bring the relevant information to your consultation, from financial records to personal references? contact information, and more. This is a collaborative relationship in which both of you work together to achieve positive results from a negative situation.
While there are many questions to ask divorce attorney at initial consultations, one of the most important aspects of a great family lawyer can?t be discerned through one answer. A divorce attorney will be in your life for up to a year, depending on the situation. Therefore, a supportive, understanding temperament can be a divorce lawyer?s most important quality.
