What To Ask When Calling A Family Lawyer
Learn more about the services of a Maricopa family lawyer including when you should call them.
Have you ever spoken to an attorney before? Maybe for a quick legal matter or to set up your will for your family. Most of us do not have experience speaking with and working with attorneys. That’s why making the decision to speak with a family lawyer is an important one and it’s something people delay doing every day. Why?
Part of the reason is because people feel that by calling a family lawyer they are really quitting on their marriage or partnership. The reality is that if you are already thinking of contacting a legal expert, you need to move forward and get some more information. Keep in mind, calling an attorney for a free consultation does not mean you are hiring them or getting started, you are simply getting information that will help you make important decisions.
What Information Do They Need
The free consultation is when you present all your information to a family attorney who will then review it and provide you with your legal options, their recommendations, the services they offer and what to expect as far as cost. While you are trying to figure out if this person or team is a good fit for you, they are doing the same which is why they need your information.
Regarding what information you should provide, consider anything that shows a timeline including when your partnership began, any major milestones as far as having children, financial success, buying or selling of property and so forth. Remember, you are not making a decision during this consultation, you’re learning what your options are.
What Services Can They Provide
A great question to ask is about the services the law firm offers. This is a great opportunity to learn not only what the attorney can offer, but why you would need that. For example, a divorce attorney can handle your divorce. However, what if you have kids and need to be advised on custody? What if your business needs to be divided or you need to receive fair compensation which means a look at the finances and so forth?
When working with legal counsel, you need to be aware of what services you may need as well as what they can offer. This is why asking about the services they can provide and what services will be most beneficial to you are good questions to ask during the consultation. You want to know everything and don’t skip any steps. Take notes, ask 100 questions and get answers and tips on how to move forward.
Am I Hiring The Attorney
No, you are not hiring an attorney right from the free consultation. The idea is to see if you are both a good fit for each other and what to do next. You still have important decisions to make and more than likely, more work to do. Often, during these consultations, clients will see what information or things they have missed and need to consider. For example, you may be primarily focused on separation or divorce but fail to take into consideration retirement benefits.
Obviously, that’s not something that concerns you right now but it’s something your legal team will want to discuss because it impacts your financial future. Just because you are giving them that information does not mean you are hiring them. However, it does help you to be better prepared and know what to expect. Having an idea of what the process is and the projected outcome are key.
What Should I Expect
Expectations are dangerous, especially in legal matters. One of the most common reasons for unrealistic expectations in divorce or separation situations is that people begin their research online. However, they don’t look for an attorney when they go online, they look for their legal rights and options. They break down and research tons of websites looking for information that applies to them. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
There are hundreds of reasons why your situation is similar to others and plenty more reasons why it is different. It’s those differences that impact your case and that’s why you need to speak with a family lawyer before making any decisions. They can tell you what’s fact, what’s fiction and what you should expect regarding your situation.
How Is My Situation Similar And Different
Thousands of divorce and separation cases are handled by family lawyers throughout Arizona each year. State laws do have an impact on the outcome as well as your circumstances. You want to know how your situation is similar but also, how it is different from others. That’s how you are not only going to learn what to expect, but why things are happening and how you can improve your situation as well as what adjustments you will have to make.