Quantcast
Published On: Thu, Sep 6th, 2018

Questions to Ask a Divorce Attorney Before Hiring

Meeting With a Divorce Lawyer

No one ever dreams of filing for divorce. It tends to be an expensive, complicated, and lengthy process replete with emotional tension. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone. Hiring a competent attorney is key to what could be a faster and cheaper divorce, but you might have to shuffle through a couple of lawyers before you find the right one.

A fundamental way to maximize your efforts, and choose a good lawyer, is to know what to ask during the initial consultation. Failing to inquire about vital information at this time, may lead to you having to pay the attorney for answers to those questions later on.

photo/ Tumisu via pixabay

Preparing for the Initial Consultation With a Divorce Attorney

While an attorney could be reasonably optimistic about your case, you shouldn’t hire someone just because they predict a better outcome for your situation compared to other lawyers. Instead, base your decision on the considerations like the attorney’s credentials, their cost, personal compatibility, and their strategy for your case.

Prepare a list of questions to take to the interview, so that you can address any concerns you may have regarding the issues of your divorce and hiring an attorney. Attentively listen to the answers and jot them down. Review the answers and think about them later, so that you can gather as much information as possible during your first meeting. You should also record how the lawyer related to you and your overall impressions on the encounter.

What Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer

Attorney Credentials

During the initial consultation, you should always ask the divorce lawyer to disclose their credentials. These objective factors can help you evaluate the attorney’s professional ability and suitability for your case. Above all, you should ask about their experience in family law, the length of their practice, and how often they deal with divorce cases. Their active participation in law organizations, published scholarly work, and relations with other lawyers could also be appropriate indicators of competence and reputation.

You should ask questions like:

“How long have you been practicing family law?”

“Do you specialize in divorce? How many divorce cases have you handled?”

“What experience will help you effectively handle my case?”

Attorney Fee Structure

You should also ask questions about the attorney fee structure and how the law firm bills its clients. Since divorce proceeding can drag on for years, it’s essential to prepare for the financial implications of your case.

Try asking questions like:

“How do you charge clients? What is your hourly rate? What is your retainer up front? Do you charge for time with other lawyers, paralegals, and secretaries?”

“What cost do you expect will be involved and how will you bill me for them?”

Divorce Procedures

If you have obligations that consume the majority of your time, understanding the fundamental divorce procedures and how much time they take, can help you plan for what lies ahead.  While there are no guarantees, your attorney should be able to provide you with an estimated timeline for your case.

Some questions you could ask include:

“Based on what you know about my situation, what is your strategy for handling my case?” “How do you think a judge would rule on it?”

“Do you have associates and paralegals?”

“How do you determine who works on my case?”

“How long will it take to resolve my case?”

Hiring a Divorce Attorney in Schaumburg, IL

Once you recognize the central issues of your case, use that information to make a list of questions aimed at finding the best person for the job. Asking the right questions during the initial consultation is key to hiring a competent Divorce Lawyer in Schaumburg, IL. With proper preparation, you should be able to find a lawyer who listens to your concerns and advises you well in no time.

Author: Shirley Wilson

On the DISPATCH: Headlines  Local  Opinion

Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter

* indicates required
/ ( mm / dd ) [ALL INFO CONFIDENTIAL]

About the Author

- Outside contributors to the Dispatch are always welcome to offer their unique voices, contradictory opinions or presentation of information not included on the site.

Leave a comment

XHTML: You can use these html tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

like_us_on_facebook

 

The Global Dispatch Facebook page- click here

Movie News Facebook page - click here

Television News Facebook page - click here

Weird News Facebook page - click here 

DISPATCH RADIO

dispatch_radio

THE BRANDON JONES SHOW

brandon_jones_show-logo

Archives