Hiring an attorney to represent you in your family law case can feel intimidating, even from the initial decision to call a lawyer.
Here are five crucial tips to help potential clients ensure they get the most out of their family law representation.
Be Prepared
Before your initial consultation, it’s a good idea to call the attorney’s office and find out what they may need from you. This may include documentation, records, or anything else to help make your initial meeting be productive. The more information you can provide at the initial consultation, the better.
Meet With Your Attorney
Your initial consultation is the most important time you will have with your attorney, so clients should not base their decision on whether the initial consult is free. Many family law attorneys do not provide free consultations, and there is a good reason for that.
Typically, if the client is paying a consult fee, the attorney will be able to dedicate more time to the consult. The first meeting sets the tone and provides you and the attorney an opportunity to get to know each other, which cannot be done in a quick conversation. Most importantly, it is the first opportunity for the lawyer to understand the goals and objectives for your case.
Ask Questions
When meeting with an attorney, speak up. You are entrusting the attorney to help you get through an emotional period of your life, so be sure to ask questions.
Some of the questions you may want to ask include:
- How much experience do you have handling family law matters?
- How do you approach your cases?
- How aggressive should I be in my case?
- As a client, what do you expect of me?
This can help you better understand your attorney’s experience and what he or she can provide for you going forward.
Relationships Matter
You’ll want to make sure the person you hire is someone you feel comfortable with. You and your attorney are going to be working together potentially for months on end, so it’s important that you feel comfortable.
Your Attorney Is Not a Therapist
In family law matters, clients often confide in their attorneys about some of the most stressful and difficult situations—that is to be expected. However, lawyers are not therapists and are not trained to provide mental health services. Depending on the type of case, you may need to seek the assistance of a counselor and therapist and can ask your lawyer if he or she has recommendations.
Contact Rigden Lieberman Today
Finding an attorney to represent you in a family law matter is an important decision. With the right knowledge and preparation, it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Contact Rigden Lieberman to schedule a consultation for your family law needs.
