Divorce is a huge step and a very long process. Of course, selecting the right attorney to guide you through your divorce is one of the most essential parts you should make. In the case of choosing an attorney, you also need to ensure he/ she has enough experience to handle your case.
If this is your first time getting into divorce process, you may not know how to start hiring an attorney. To make sure an attorney can handle your particular divorce case, you may need to ask some questions. Thankfully! This post will show you top 10 questions you can ask before hiring a divorce attorney. Let’s see our post below!
Here’s a List of Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Divorce Attorney!
There are a number of questions you should ask to your prospective attorney. Asking the question is very important to ensure an attorney can handle your particular divorce case. Here are examples of questions you can ask to your attorney:
1) How many family law cases have you handled?
Hiring a divorce attorney is like choosing a doctor to conduct surgery. Of course, you do not want to hire someone who has never performed this before. Since getting divorce is stressful enough, checking your attorney’s work over their shoulder to ensure that they are handling everything properly is a must.
2) How many of those cases were you able to settle out of court?
You may want to avoid added drama and a prolonged agreement in the process of divorce. Of course, you will prefer to keep your divorce out of the courts. However, settling out of court is importantly achieving compromise. It basically means that you and your ex can arrive at a compromise without the need for prolonged litigation.
If this is what you want, make sure to find yourself a talented divorce attorney who has settled out of court a lot. If you already find a divorce attorney with a great track record for achieving divorce settlement agreements out of court, well, it is commonly a good sign.
3) How can I contact you?
Getting a divorce means you will be in a complicated situation. Certainly, there will be something urgent that comes up and you do not feel like you can wait until your next scheduled appointment to share it with your attorney.
Of course, it is very reasonable for you to ask how you can contact your attorney. Make sure to ask the following questions: Are you available on phone or email? Will you answer my phone call? Will you reply to texts? How long will it take you to return my emails?
4) What is your strategy for my case?
During an initial consultation, your divorce attorney may not have a fully formed strategy. However, you can give you some basic insights that are simply based on the preliminary details of your case. Of course, it could be helpful for you to hear your divorce attorney discuss strategy, even if it is just in general terms.
5) How long will it take to resolve my case?
Most lawyers may be willing to offer an estimated date range, assisting you to set the correct expectations and better understand the divorce process. You definitely can ask this question that helps you assess your attorney’s ability to talk to you, as opposed to beating around the bush.
6) Will I be kept informed of all developments in my case?
Since this is your divorce process, you can really decide how involved you want to be when it comes to your divorce proceedings. In this case, some people probably want to be informed of every single developing detail, while others may want to be kept in the loop on only the bigger things. Well, if you find yourself in the former category, you should ensure your lawyer will be available and willing to share information with you.
Aside from that, you can also ask a question whether or not you will receive copies of documents filed with the court. Of course, you might have heard the phrase ‘on the record’ . However, this is important in any legal battles, since you may have to refer to a document or conversation for your case.
If you think that it is important, you should ensure that all communication with your spouse’s attorney and any other documents related to your case may end up in your hands if necessary.
7) What is your take on collaborative divorce?
With collaborative divorce, the two exes will work together as partners rather than adversaries, looking for the great solution to your problem, while trying to maintain an amicable relationship with one another.
8) How much will you charge me?
However, it’s very important to discuss financial matters before signing on the dotted line. You specifically can ask your divorce attorney how much they will charge for their retainer fee and hourly billing rate.
Of course, you can clarify whether you will be charged a fee for any associates who your attorney enlists to help them develop your case.
9) How about extra fees?
You can also ask your attorney whether or not you will be charged any extra fees. Of course, it is really common for a lawyer to charge additional fees before he/she is willing to argue your case in court.
10) Will I sign a contract outlining the fee arrangement?
Of course, everyone will have their own feelings about signing a fee arrangement contract, but it’s a great idea. If you fire a professional lawyer, he/she will likely not be trying to squeeze you for every penny you have.
However, just in case, ensuring every dollar you spend is accounted for is always a smart move. In this case, a fee arrangement importantly means that your lawyer will not start charging you for additional services after you hand over a retainer and sign a contract with him or her.
Okay, those are the top 10 questions to ask before hiring a divorce attorney. Of course, there are still many additional questions you can ask to your prospective attorney.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
