The most daunting task is to visit a divorce lawyer for the first time. You are already under stress and anxiety due to divorce and the next thing you know is that you visit your appointed family attorney for your divorce case. Here is what you should do.
Be Prepared
The first thing is that you should be completely prepared before you visit your divorce lawyer. Your divorce lawyer will need to know all the details since how and when you met your spouse to how his or her behavior, the details of the kids, your address and other details, the details of your everyday life, details of your bank accounts, financial assets, debts and profits. The lawyer will need to know all the details honestly so that he knows what he is dealing with and how to go about the case.
Be Confident
Do not be intimidated by the divorce lawyer. You have to be confident and give all the answers as detailed as possible and smoothly. Do not be scared or stammer because this will get you nowhere. The lawyer understands that you are under stress and are agitated but you will need to calm down. He will want to get acquainted with you so he can deal with everything and that will require your cooperation.
Fill Documents
Many times lawyers will give you a questionnaire or documents which you will be required to fill. This is done to know your scenario better.
Questions To Ask The Divorce Lawyer
The question and answer round will not only be for you but you will also need to ask some questions.
How long have you been in this field?
Experience is extremely important. The more the experience the more easily he/she can win your case.
Can you fight my type of case or have you dealt with these types of cases before?
Every divorce story is different and every reason is different. Some divorces are due to marital abuse which includes physical and mental both. In this the services of a psychiatrist are needed. Some divorce cases involve a lot of investment, properties and profit or debts so the advice of a financial analyst is needed. Some involve kids custody, division of assets and alimony which requires the services of a family law mediator.
What will be your total cost? Is it a one-time fee or will it vary with time?
This is a really important question to ask because divorce robs you off financially. You have to for the lawyer fees, for the mediator, for the analysts, for the trials, and for many other things. Make sure you discuss the costs and fees as early as possible.
What do you think the outcome will be?
Lawyers are experts in their field and by gauging the situation in the first meeting they can predict the outcome of the divorce case.
What should I do and what I should not do?
You should ask the lawyer what precautions you should take and what you should not do so the outcome will be in your favor.
A good lawyer will always address your issues, clear your problems, and make you comfortable. They will give you a space to vent out and will give you the best advice.
How To Find A Divorce Lawyer?
Before the first meeting, you should also know how to select the right lawyer in the first place. You should be looking for references from your family or friends, certifications and related experience from the divorce attorney. You wouldn’t want a newbie fighting your divorce battle unless you don’t have money to hire a better one.
Moreover, you should look for a divorce attorney who have experience dealing with cases similar to your divorce issues.
For example, if your main focus in child custody and you know that the other spouse will give a tough time, the attorney you hire should have experience and authority on the issue. Mostly men hire male lawyers and women hire female lawyers because they can find the sympathy and support from them.
Similarly, if you and your spouse had businesses, you should hire a top rated divorce lawyer Fairfax VA who is known to win family finance related cases. Good luck!
