what should i know about family law before hiring an attorney

What questions should I ask a family law attorney?

When you walk out of the consultation, you should be able to answer each of the following:Is the lawyer someone I can relate to and trust? ... Who will be my primary point of contact at the law firm? ... What is the best approach for me? ... How much is this going to cost? ... How do you structure your fees?

What should you consider when hiring a lawyer?

Things to Consider When Hiring a LawyerThe Firm/Lawyer's Specialty in the Areas of Law You Need.Years of Experience & Success.The Firm's Resources at Your Disposal.The Lawyers Communication with You to Make Sure You Know Whats Going On, and.Comfort Level when Speaking with the Lawyer and the Firm's Team.

What qualities make a good family lawyer?

7 Important Traits of the Best Family Law LawyersThe lawyer's integrity. ... The family law lawyer's diligence. ... The lawyer's communication skills. ... The lawyer's objectivity. ... The family law lawyer's patience. ... The family law lawyer document preparation skills. ... The family law lawyer skill and experience inside the courtroom.

How do you prepare to meet a lawyer?

Tips For Meeting With Your Lawyer For the First TimeDress To Impress. ... Be Ready To Give Your Attorney Important Information About Yourself. ... Gather Your Evidence And Have It Ready For Your First Meeting. ... Get Your Facts Straight. ... Plan Something You Can Look Forward To For After Your Meeting.

What do you say when you call a lawyer?

0:261:20What To Say When You Call An Attorney - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipKnow kind of ballpark. Terms where you're coming from. And then you can elaborate on your specific.MoreKnow kind of ballpark. Terms where you're coming from. And then you can elaborate on your specific. Situation. And when you keep it simple in the beginning it really does make it easier.

What is the meaning of retainer fee?

A retainer fee is an amount of money paid upfront to secure the services of a consultant, freelancer, lawyer, or other professional. A retainer fee is most commonly paid to individual third parties that have been engaged by the payer to perform a specific action on their behalf.

What is an initial consultation?

An initial consultation is the first time that you are able to speak one-on-one with an attorney. Both you and the attorney have a chance here to learn about each other. The lawyer will learn about the details of your case while you learn about the lawyer and the firm.Aug 30, 2020

How long should you wait for a lawyer to call you back?

Scott Aalsberg Esq. A: The lawyer should be responsive to your questions within 24-48 hours after you left a message. If the lawyer is not responsive, perhaps he or she is on vacation and unable to return.Dec 28, 2019

How do I ask my lawyer about my case?

10 things to ask your lawyer in a case reviewHave you handled this type of case before? ... What is the best method for contacting you? ... Who will be handling my case? ... To whom may I speak with about my case? ... What are your fees? ... Are there other fees for which I will be held responsible?More items...•Apr 18, 2014

What is hourly billing?

And, of course, the most common type of billing arrangement is hourly billing, in which an attorney bills for his own time and the time of his paralegals, at a certain rate per hour, meaning you pay for exactly the amount of work you get.

What is contingency fee?

Contingency fees are common in cases like personal injury, medical malpractice, and other cases with very large potential judgments that make it financially reasonable for the attorney to take a portion of the recovery instead of charging hourly rates. And, of course, the most common type of billing arrangement is hourly billing, ...

Do attorneys charge for initial consultation?

Indeed, some attorneys will charge you for the initial consultation, so you should know that before you go in to get information and come out with a bill in hand.

Can a lawyer represent you?

Your lawyer cannot be effective representing you or other clients if he or she is taking every call that comes through to him or her everyday. As a result, if you need to speak with your attorney, you should be prepared to schedule an appointment for a phone call when you are both ready and available.

Have you handled other cases like mine?

Don’t accept an answer of just a number. Ask them about specific details of cases that are similar to your circumstances. If spousal support is what worries you most or if you are worried about the future of your children, you need to be reassured that they have successfully handled other cases like yours.

Will you handle my case personally or will you have someone else working on it?

Don’t immediately say no if more than one person will be working on your case. A team of lawyers with the support of paralegals and associates can work more efficiently and may even save you money. Outside consultants might also be part of the team, such as personal investigators or other advisors.

How much will you charge me?

You should not be ashamed to bring up the subject of charges. On the contrary, knowing how much something will cost you from the outset will only work to give you peace of mind and avoid surprises. Ask about specific charges such as court costs, outside consultants, and other expenses.

Now that you know my situation, what will be your approach?

A detailed strategy might not be available at this point for the lawyer to share it with you. However, you do want to get a feeling for how aggressive this lawyer is, or what their approach will be. This answer alone might convince you that this is the lawyer for you or, on the other hand, have you running for the door.

Is my request unreasonable?

You might be feeling anxious, sad, depressed, or highly emotional about what you are about to do, whether it’s a divorce, a custody case, or any other family matter. You may be worried that your decisions might not be the right ones at this time.

Look for Referrals

The first thing that you should do is ask your family and friends if they have either been in the same situation as you or know someone who has. They can tell you what attorney that they went through to resolve their case.

Do a Background Check

Once you have a few names that you can work with you'll want to do a thorough background check on them. You'll be giving them a lot of confidential family information after all. If you can, try to get some information about their past cases to get a feel for their methods. This will be a good reflection for how they will handle your case.

Check for Professional Experience

Make sure they have the proper certifications to take on your case. After you've determined that, it's only a matter of finding out how many cases like yours that they've won. Make sure you look or ask for specific numbers. Find out how many years that a particular practice has been around before you hire them.

Determine Charges and Rates

Some attorney's rates can get expensive even for small family matters. It's up to you to decide if the attorney's experience and services match up to the cost. Make sure that the expense is in your budget at all. If it is then get a full list of the attorney's services and the charge for each service.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Do not be afraid to ask questions. You're giving someone a lot of money to perform a service so you should be treating it like a job interview in a way. Here are some of the basic questions that you should be asking when you call.

Hire the Best Family Attorney for Your Case

Are you about to go through some type of divorce? Want to get custody of your children? No matter what your situation is, you're going to need the best family attorney to help you solve it. As long as you know what to be looking out for and what questions you should ask, you should be able to find one to suit your needs.

What to do if you are unhappy with a lawyer on LegalMatch?

If you're happy or unhappy with the lawyer you found on LegalMatch, remember to rate them at LegalMatch. This will help others when deciding whether or not to hire the lawyer. That's how LegalMatch works, and why it works so well.

What happens if you fire a lawyer?

Some contracts specify that even if you fire a lawyer, he still gets a large percentage of any future award or settlement you may receive on your case. Make sure you know how to fire your lawyer – before you hire him or her.

Do lawyers advertise in the Yellow Pages?

As a general rule in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Many reputable lawyers don't advertise in newspapers or the Yellow Pages. Don't assume that the size of the Yellow Page ad means that a lawyer is better qualified than one with a small ad (or no ad at all). Always review a lawyer's background. LegalMatch makes this easy with the profiles we offer on our LegalMatch Member Attorneys. These help you learn about a lawyer's experience and qualifications.

1. Expertise and Experience

When you speak with an attorney, they should never be hesitant to share their record, how they have handled similar cases to yours in the past and help explain the significance of any case delays or date changes and how that will affect the case moving forward.

2. Quality Direct Communication

Every lawyer that you interact with should acknowledge up front that you the client are in charge and that your needs superseded the needs of the attorney.

3. High Ethical Standards

It is your right as the client to back out of any situation that you feel uncomfortable with. When you are in a free consultation with an attorney keep your ears and eyes open and look for red flags. The most common red flags to look for are:

4. Transparency of Fees

An attorney with integrity will not only explain to you what your case is worth but will help estimate what things will cost and be completely transparent on what their fees are.