Selecting a family law attorney to handle your divorce is not an easy task. If you want a positive outcome for your situation, you need to choose a divorce attorney who will advocate for your interests and work hard for you. To find the right attorney, you need ask the right questions to will help you evaluate your options and better understand the divorce process.
1. How Experienced Are You with Divorce Cases?
If you are considering hiring a particular family law attorney, you must find out more about their experience with divorce cases. Most family law attorneys handle a variety of cases, from adoption to child custody. If you decide to seek someone who specializes in divorce cases, you should still ask for details about their previous experience. Unless you feel a strong desire to give an inexperienced lawyer a try, look for an attorney with a wealth of relevant experience.
You should also ask the lawyer about their experiences resolving cases through non-trial solutions, including mediation and arbitration. If the lawyer has no experience or interest in pursuing alternative solutions, you may need to seek a different attorney so that you have more options available to you.
2. How Can I Stay in Touch?
Your confidence in your divorce attorney will diminish if you cannot get in touch with them at critical times. Ideally, you want an attorney who will call you promptly and keep you updated on the latest developments in your case. If you are comfortable using email, look for an attorney who is willing to send files digitally and communicate online. Online communication is especially critical if you are dealing with a divorce while living in another state. You should also find out if you will be communicating directly with the lawyer or with the lawyer’s staff.
3. What Can I Expect During the Divorce Process?
Unless you have gone through the divorce process before, you probably do not know what to expect. A good lawyer should be able to give you complete information about the standard steps in a typical divorce proceeding, from filing a petition to dealing with an actual trial. Ideally, you want a lawyer who can answer this question in full, especially if you are interviewing a family law attorney without specialized experience in divorce cases.
4. What Is Your Style?
If you end up with a lawyer whose philosophy does not match your own, your divorce could become an insurmountable mess. Some lawyers may insist on handling everything with little input from you. Other lawyers will consult with you constantly, even on the most mundane matters. If you expect your lawyer to listen to your concerns, you must select an attorney who will not make big decisions without consulting you.
5. How Much Do You Charge?
Before you finalize your choice of attorney, you need to know how much you can expect to pay for the lawyer’s services. You should ask a number of questions related to their billing process, including how often you will be charged and the methods that you can use to pay your bill. You should also ask what will happen if you are unable to pay your bill at any point during the case. You may also wish to ask the attorney how much they expect your case to cost. Although you probably will not get a concrete amount, you will at least know what to expect.
Divorce is a difficult process, especially if you do not select the right lawyer. If you take the time to carefully interview candidates from a list of divorce lawyers, you can find someone who will work with you to find a satisfying resolution.
