Annulment Lawyer

Divorce Papers » Annulment Lawyer

Choosing an attorney for annulment is a tricky question. One has to determine a lawyer who is experienced as well as the one with whom one feels comfortable as a client. How to choose an annulment lawyer is a dilemma faced by the couple who decides to go for annulment instead of divorce or legal separation.

Annulment effectively erases the marriage returning the couple to the pre-marital status socially and financially. It is retroactive in nature and the partners have the right to remarry once the annulment is granted.

The grounds cited for annulment are limited and difficult to prove. Besides, there should be an iron-clad reason for seeking an annulment which cannot be dismissed by the judge. You need to provide the proofs and witnesses accordingly. Thus, it is a wise decision to hire an attorney rather than going for a do-it-yourself annulment procedure which is unlikely to work.

Besides, it has different legal as well as religious ramifications making it a complex procedure underlining the need to hire an attorney.

How to Choose an Annulment Lawyer:

While choosing an annulment attorney, one must consider certain conditions pertaining to the experience, working style and overall way of communicating and helping nature which are some of the essential qualities of a good attorney.

• Start with looking in the yellow pages. You will find a list of attorneys working in the area where you reside. Some attorneys specify their field in their advertisements. Short list at least three lawyers or firms those provide the services in the family law.

• Ask for recommendations from friends, family, colleagues or acquaintances so that you can also get a hands on idea of the working style of the concerned lawyer.

• The lawyers or firms which you have short-listed should be associated with the American Bar Association. They have an official website listing all the lawyers working in association with them and the fields in which they specialize.

• Compare the three attorneys you have short-listed on the basis of comfortability, experience, affordability, experience and communication skills. The way of communicating matters as it would determine whether they will be able to explain the intricacies and complexities of the rules of annulment in a simple language which can be understood by a layman.

• As annulment is a serious and complex provision, it is very important to hire someone who has the expertise as well as the experience and willingness to handle the case effectively. He / she should be well-versed in the laws of annulment as they are already complex.

• Always prefer the experts who are experienced in the field of family law and are able to handle contested as well as uncontested annulment. The possibility that the respondent will counter the claims and allegations leveled against them should always be considered.

Questions to Ask an Annulment Attorney:

Before hiring a specific lawyer, it pays to ask a lot of questions and do a thorough research regarding his / her credentials, experience, communication skills and other important traits required in an annulment attorney.

Prepare a rough outline of your case including the grounds on which you are planning to seek annulment. Also mention the details regarding the assets, debts, responsibilities and information about the children (if minor).

Some of the questions you should ask your annulment attorney are as follows:

• What is his / her Experience in the Family Law?

  It is important to ask for the experience of handling the cases pertaining to family law; especially annulment owing to the complex nature of grounds and the time required to prove these grounds in front of the judge.

  An annulment attorney specializes specifically in annulments as they are complex and there are many intricacies involved in these cases.

• What is the Process of Annulment?

  There is a specific process of annulment which has to be followed precisely as directed by the court. An experiences attorney knows the next step to be taken before it is directed by the court and warns the client accordingly.

  The process of annulment differs according to the state in which the petition is filed and the attorney should be well-versed in the provisions of the particular statute.

• What is his / her Assessment of the Case?

  After providing him / her with the details of your case, he / she must be able to clearly guide you regarding the grounds to be cited as well as the estimated verdict of the court. She / he must also be able to assess the case neutrally and provide the true information to the client regarding the verdict.

  The judges in the state courts generally encourage the parties to go for divorce in which case the necessary guidelines should be provided by him / her.

  What is the Estimated Cost along with the Additional Costs and the Break-up of the Cost?

  You can ask the attorney the estimated cost for all the documentation and the advisory services that they are supposed to provide you. Ask how the charges are calculated (per session or per hour basis), the additional costs of photocopying, postage, etc as well as the break-up of the cost. Also make sure who is supposed to pay the additional costs labeled as miscellaneous.

• What is the Estimated Time for this case to Reach a Verdict?

  An experienced attorney will come up with an answer readily and it will most probably be accurate. This also helps you to brace yourself for that specific time period required for the case to come to a closure.

These are some general questions. Once you make a list of the queries and invest some time in research, you will be able to come up with some more.

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