What Should I Expect Out Of My First Meeting With A Divorce Attorney?

Interview several attorneys on the telephone and in person before choosing the one who will represent you. Choose the attorney who you feel comfortable with; the chances are you will be spending a significant amount of time on your divorce and you will need to feel secure that the person you chose to represent you is actually acting in your best interests.

Be wary of the lawyer who rushes you through your initial interview, interrupts your interview repeatedly by taking someone else's phone call, or fails to return telephone calls. Typically, this sort of attorney is too busy for you and will not have adequate time to deal professionally with the issues of your case.

It is important for you to ascertain whether or not the initial consultation is free. Many lawyers will provide an initial interview free of charge so that they can access whether or not to undertake your particular case.

You have every right to inquire as to the financial element of the case, I.E. the attorney’s fees, the court costs, filing fees and the over-all expected expenditure on your case.

Except in very complicated divorces which involve large amounts of money and property or a child custody dispute, be wary of any attorney who can not give you a ball-park figure as to how much money the lawsuit should cost you.

Your lawyer will be charging you for his or her services by the hour. Therefore, preparation on your part is mandatory if you are to secure the best benefit for your dollar.

Before you meet with an attorney, remember to jot down all of the topics and questions which you wish to discuss at your first meeting. When you get to the meeting, address your attorney directly, be concise in your questions, and expect answers. During the beginning of this first session, you might feel the urge to ramble on about the demise of your marriage. However, initially, your attorney is interested in garnering the pedigree information and the facts of your marriage, so be patient and assist the lawyer in developing a true picture of what has transpired.

Remember that you have lived with the problems of your marriage for a long time, but the attorney has just been introduced. Afterwards, your lawyer will be interested in hearing about your marital problems so as to determine upon which grounds to proceed, and for use in demonstrating and proving your legal position.

Come to your first lawyers meeting armed with a somewhat concise outline of the facts of your marriage so that a lot of time is not wasted before getting to pedigree information. You should strive to provide this pedigree (or essential) information at the inception of the meeting. In a garden variety-divorce, your lawyer will need to know the basics such as the date and place of marriage, the date and place of separation and the names and birth dates of the children. Then of course, he or she will want other facts and events surrounding your situation.

The lawyer will want to assess your financial circumstances, as well. If you seek custody of the children, you may very well expect to receive child support from the non custodial parent.

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Warning: The information contained herein is not intended to substitute for legal advice from your own retained lawyer in new york state. This article is merely informational in nature, and is based upon one attorney’s knowledge of the practice of family law, matrimonial law, domestic violence, custody, child support and orders of protection.

Retain counsel before you do anything to affect your marital status and follow the advice of the lawyer you retain, not what is written herein.