Have A Divorce Lawyer Consultation? Ask These 4 Questions
Do you have an upcoming consultation with a divorce lawyer, but you're unsure how to figure out if they are going to be a good fit for you? Here are some questions that you can ask your potential divorce lawyer during a consultation.
Ask If Divorce Is Their Specialty
One thing that is always worth asking is if the lawyer exclusively practices family law. There are lawyers out there that generally practice all areas of the law and those that focus specifically on family law. The reason that you want to work with a family lawyer is that they are going to have the experience with working on cases just like yours. Maybe you know you are going to go through a rough custody battle, and want to work with someone that has gone through many of these cases and knows what to expect. If they are not exclusively a family lawyer, then ask then what percentage of their cases focus on family law. If it is relatively high then that is a very good sign for moving forward.
Ask How The Lawyer Will Be Paid
You'll want a clear understanding of how a divorce lawyer will be paid for their services. For example, do they require that a retainer is paid up front? What is the hourly rate for the lawyer's services? At what point does the retainer need to be replenished? Will any leftover money in the retainer be given back at the end of the divorce proceedings, or does the lawyer keep it? These are all important questions to ask to understand what the cost of their services is.
Ask What The Total Divorce Will Cost
You should even ask how much the lawyer estimates the divorce will cost based on what you've told them in a consultation. While you won't get the exact amount, the lawyer should be able to come up with a rough estimation based on what they know so far. This will give you a general idea of the ballpark figure that you can expect to pay.
Ask The Lawyer If They Do Collaborative Divorces
If you and your spouse have not yet decided how you want to go about getting a divorce, ask if the lawyer performs collaborative divorces. These are a bit different than the ones that go through mediation since it involves both spouses working out issues individually and the lawyer drafting the paperwork to support it. Some lawyers do this while others do not, so ask up front if you're considering a collaborative divorce.
For more information, contact a family law firm in your area.
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