There are a lot of reasons you may want to talk to a family law attorney. If you are considering divorcing your spouse, are looking to adopt a child, are concerned about a child who is being abused or neglected or need a paternity test run, you can talk to a family law expert. These are not the only things they can help you with but that should give you a general sense of what kinds of cases they cover. Here are some tips to help you choose a family lawyer.
Talk to the people in your life that you trust the most. Many of the things listed above happen all of the time and there is a good chance that you know has hired a family law attorney for something at some point in their lives. now, you may not want to end up hiring the same person but getting some recommendations will give you a good place to start. Divorces are almost all too common in the United States today so you absolutely know at least one person who has gone with one. The best way to find decent goods or services is to get personal recommendations.
Know what you need exactly. Before you set out to choose a family lawyer, you need to know what your objectives are and what you want to accomplish. If you are getting a divorce, you need to work through what the best resolution will be for you. Are there children involved? You will need someone who has experience with custody issues. If you have a complicated business arrangement, you will need someone who can help you untangle that. You also should think about your communication style. You need to be able to communicate with the the lawyer you hire. In fact that is an important thing when you want to choose a family lawyer.
Take advantage of the free consultations. Law firms offer a first time consultation that is free. This is the way they get to know you and you get to talk to local lawyers and see which one you feel the most comfortable working with. Bring a list of questions with you that you can ask. Here are a few that you should make sure you ask:
- What is your experience with this kind of law? You do not need a drunk driving attorney for your family law case.
- How long have you been practicing law?
- What made you go into this kind of law?
- If I go with your law firm, who will work on my case? There will be more people than the main lawyer working on your case, it is always a good idea to ask about who exactly will be assigned to your case?
- If I have questions, who will be available to answer them? Will I ever talk to my main lawyer or will it only be the legal assistant?
What is your track record? - How much experience do you have negotiating? How much courtroom experience do you have? You do not want to have to go to court but you do want your lawyer to have some experience in this area.
- What is your fee structure? Some will let you do a payment plan and some want a lump sum. There may be other fees and charges so make sure you ask about them as well. The bottom line is that you need to work with a family law firm that is transparent with its billing practices.
You do not have to go with the first family layer you talk to. You should get into see a few local attorneys and get some estimates. Plus talking to a few different lawyers will give you a sense of your options. When you chose a family lawyer, you should feel you have talked to enough to make the right decision.
Watch out for problems that are obvious. When you want to choose a family lawyer, you should be concerned if any make extravagant promises or come up with over the top scenarios that you know are not going to come through.
If you take your time and do your research, you will find an attorney who is right for you.
