Questions to ask to a Divorce Lawyer

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As soon as one thinks of getting divorced, there would be several questions that would queue up in their mind. One needs answers to such questions, but there are some other important questions as well that the divorcing person needs to ask to the lawyer. There are several questions to ask to a divorce lawyer regarding their experience, expertise, management style or philosophy, case management, and expenditure.

Questions to ask to a divorce lawyer regarding experience and expertise

• Q. Do you collaborate consistently with experts outside your firm like counselors, psychologists, accountants etc?
  This is vital question to be asked because during the proceedings of the divorce the divorcing person or their family members may need the help of counselors, psychologists, accountants etc.
• Q. Do you have any certification or special training in divorce and family law, due to which you may be considered as a divorce specialist?
  A generic lawyer would prove to be of no help to you, if he or she does not have expertise or experience of handling divorce cases. Therefore, it important to get details about the specialization of the attorney.
• Q. Out of the gross cases that you handle, what percentage are divorce and family law cases?
  By asking this question, you would understand the amount of experience the attorney has in handling divorce and family law cases.
• Q. For what period till date, have you practiced in this county or state?
• Have you benefited from courtroom experience?
  It is vital for you to choose the attorney who has experience of working in your county. The attorney should have knowledge about the mediators, counselors, the court clerks and judges in the county.
• Q. In the previous year, what number of cases went to trial?
  By knowing the number of cases that went to trial one can understand the experience of the attorney and one can even get details about these cases.

Questions to ask to a divorce lawyer regarding management style or philosophy

• Q. Can you throw light on your usual philosophy while managing a divorce case?
  One needs to understand the way the attorney would handle their case and this detail should be discussed beforehand by the client and the attorney. One needs to ask this question and understand the approach of the lawyer and find out whether the outlook of the lawyer and themselves match.
• Q. Have you undergone any training in collaborative law?
  To understand the proficiency of the lawyer, you need to ask the above question.
• Q. In what situations do your divorce cases reach the trial stage?
  The complexity of divorce cases need to be understood by the divorcing person, they should know when the cases reach the trail stage.
• Q. What is your opinion regarding the spouses maintaining direct contact?
  The divorcing person should be aware about the opinion of the attorney and know the pros and cons of any situation from the attorney.

Case management questions

• Q. What is your opinion regarding the duration that will be required for me to get the divorce?
  The time that would be required for the divorce to get completed should be known to the client.
• Q. In your law firm, except you, which other people like associate lawyers, paralegals etc would assist in my case?
  One should be aware about the people from the law firm that would be associated with the case.
• Q. Who would be responsible to negotiate my divorce case?
  You have a right to know about who would be responsible for negotiation of your case.
• Q. As the divorce case proceeds, will I have frequent interaction with you or your assistants?
  One needs to find out about whom they need to keep in touch with.
• Q. Is it possible that I will be able to directly contact you? If yes, then how? (Phone, fax, email) Does your law firm have any policy regarding the duration in which client calls have to be returned?
  The contact person, the mode of contact, the callback policy should be known to the client.
• Q. Would I get copies of all correspondence and legal documents from your law firm?
  You need to make sure that you get copy of the entire legal document and are kept updated about them. To ensure this you need to ask the above questions.

Expenditure questions

• Q. What is the hourly rate of fees?
  One should know the hourly rate fees of the lawyer and need to ask this question without any hesitation.
• Q. If the case reaches trial stage, is the client supposed to pay additional fees for the days in court?
  The client needs to make sure that they discuss the fees that should be paid at every stage of the case. They should be aware about additional charges if any.
• Q. Other than your law firm, which other professionals (private investigators, child psychologists, property appraisers, accountants etc) may I have to pay? How much are the fees of these professionals?
  There would be several professionals whose help and guidance you may need during the case proceedings. Hence, one should be aware about the fees they need to pay to these professionals.

To get the best benefit out of hiring a divorce lawyer, one needs to first ask appropriate question to the attorney. Above are some important questions to ask to a divorce lawyer, so that you can choose the right attorney to represent your case. It is essential to first judge the credibility, knowledge, and suitability of the attorney.

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