A family law attorney stands as your advocate in case of a divorce, child custody issues, parenting plans, spousal support, etc. Knowing the right questions to ask can reduce the stress of hiring and give you the guidance to ensure that you make the right decision. Here are the top five questions to ask before hiring a family lawyer.
- Will I Be Working with You Directly?
Most family lawyers are usually partners or associates in a law firm, therefore, when hiring a family lawyer, always ask if you will be working with them directly or through other attorneys in their office. Additionally, also make inquiries about how to contact them, whether through phone calls or emails, and the procedures for their response time to your calls or emails.
- Ask About Their Experience in Similar Cases?
The experience of the family lawyer you are looking to hire matters a lot, it can be the difference between winning or losing. Experienced family lawyers know and understand how the different family law works together. This experience enables them to come up with a course of action for your case.
- Payment Arrangement
When you want to hire a family lawyer, you have to find out about the amount of money you will be spending. Some family lawyers like to be paid on an hourly basis while some others demand to be paid a particular percentage of the settlement awarded to you if it’s a settlement case.
- Ask About the Possible Outcomes of your case?
No matter how simple, difficult or complicated your case may seem, you should still ask your lawyer about the possible outcomes your case is likely to have. If they can provide you with a reasonable and convincing explanation, you can go ahead and hire them. Also, asking about the possible outcomes will enable you to know if you and the lawyer are working towards the same goal.
- What Is Your Approach for My Case?
During the initial stages of consultation with a potential family lawyer, you intend to hire, make your case known to them and ask about the strategy they intend to use to approach your case. In most situations, they may not give specifics on how they will go about it but they should be able to give an overview of their strategy.
Hiring a family lawyer should help you guarantee the outcome of the case. One thing you should never do is hire a lawyer that you do not have confidence in or one you are not comfortable with. Hopefully, with the tips discussed above, you will be better guided when you want to hire a family lawyer.