Top 5 Divorce Questions to Ask and Expectations to Have

1. Divorce Attorneys Should Be Compassionate

The divorce attorney you hire should make you feel comfortable and be a great communicator and listener and explain things clearly to you. Be sure your divorce attorney understands your divorce’s emotional toll on you and is willing to listen to your issues. Your divorce attorney should have compassion for what you are going through and be ready to make you as comfortable as possible with sharing your sensitive information. Be sure to meet with your divorce attorney before committing to a working relationship with them. You want to decide if they have communication skills and compassion that match yours during the initial consultation. It’s a good idea to meet with several divorce attorneys before deciding which one is right for your divorce case.

2. The Availability of the Divorce Attorney

Availability could mean how close your divorce attorney is to you or how often they will respond to questions and concerns you have. Depending on your situation, you may need a divorce lawyer in the same town or county. You may also be concerned with the attorney’s distance from the courthouse. These things might matter if your divorce attorney charges for travel time or if your transportation means are limited. In cases where location doesn’t matter, the availability of the lawyer you hire likely does. You want to ask a divorce attorney about their caseload and support staff at the initial consultation. You also want to check on what their preferred method of communication is. If the attorney prefers email communication and that works for your lifestyle, you may have a perfect match. If their preferred method of communication does not match yours or their typical response time is not sufficient for you, you may want to continue interviewing divorce attorneys.

3. Consider Your Divorce Budget

It’s no secret that divorces can be costly. Talk to divorce attorneys about their fees and retainer options. Be sure you know exactly what they charge for and how much. If you feel a particular divorce attorney is out of your price range, let them know. There may be suggestions for ways to settle your divorce for less, or they may have names of other divorce attorneys that are better suited for your budget. Just because a divorce attorney charges high fees does not mean that they are a more qualified divorce attorney than others that don’t charge quite as much. Select an attorney you feel most comfortable with, but stay within your budget.

4. Not All Divorces are Created Equal, and Neither are All Divorce Attorneys

What you need in a divorce attorney will largely rely on your unique divorce situation. For example, you might have an urgent situation involving abuse, child custody, or financial misconduct. In that case, ask the divorce attorney you interview what their experience is in that area. On the other hand, you might have an uncontested divorce situation that will require mediation or an agreed-upon settlement. Check with the attorney about their expertise in that circumstance as well. Whatever your situation, check with them about their similar experiences. Also, be sure they can plainly explain the types of divorces and procedures that might happen in your given situation. You have likely not heard this type of lingo before, and you must understand what you might be facing. An attorney that cannot use plain language that you understand may not be the one for you.

Consultations With Divorce Attorneys

Your initial consultation with a divorce attorney should be an information-gathering session. You want to be sure to have questions prepared to bring along to each initial divorce consultation you attend. Even if you think you will remember what you want to ask, you may get overwhelmed once the meeting begins. You also want to talk to your potential divorce attorney about your unique situation and determine their areas of expertise. You may have found yourself a divorce attorney if these two things are similar! Information about attorney fees and charges will be another essential aspect of an initial divorce consultation. Be sure that you do not strain yourself financially with a potential divorce attorney selection. Also, be sure you do not select an attorney with a different communication style than you do. Communication will be key in your divorce proceeding.You want to choose a compassionate, competent, and effective divorce attorney for your unique divorce situation.