Several factors will influence the result of your divorce. Legal advice is one of the most critical. Consider your divorce lawyer as your advocate, your trusted adviser, your negotiator and your guide during the divorce process. You are hiring a lawyer to lead you through a life altering event, and it is essential that you feel comfortable with your selection. Before hiring a lawyer, take a while to talk in person or on the phone. This is the possibility to evaluate the quality of the divorce lawyer’s legal advice, as well as the lawyer’s expertise, strategy and cost. 

Background & Experience – Questions to ask about an attorney’s experience and education include: How much experience do you have handling divorces? Where did you go to school and law school? When did you graduate? Have you previously handled cases comparable to mine? Do you handle kid custody cases? Do you’ve experience using mediation in divorce cases? Do you’ve any other specialised experience that is relevant to my case? Case Assessment – Questions to inquire about the attorney’s assessment of your case include: How can you evaluate my case? Realistically, what type of settlement can I expect? What possible problems or barriers do you see that could cause distress or affect the results of my case? Do you think we’ll needs to go to trial? How long can it take to complete my divorce? Would you recommend mediation in my case? Case Management & Fees – Additionally questions to ask about how your case will be managed and how much it will cost include: Do you have the time to handle my case? What other attorneys or specialists can be working on my situation and what work can they be doing? How much do you charge, how often will you bill me and once will payment be due? What other types of fees, costs and expenses will I’ve to pay? Could you give me a rough estimate of the entire cost of the divorce? Are there less experienced lawyers or paralegals who can do part of the work at a lower price? If you’re not able to afford to employ the lawyer, does the lawyer work with any group that offer legal aid for divorce clients? What type of progress reports will you provide? Will you personally handle my divorce negotiations? Will you be my day-to day get in touch with or will I mostly be working with another lawyer on your staff? what’s the ideal way to contact you, and how rapidly Should I expect to get a response? Legal Philosophy & Style of Offering Divorce Legal Advice – Questions to ask about an attorney’s style of lawyering include: What is your overall philosophy or style when handling divorce work? Are you more prone to inform me what to do, or provide choices and expect me to make a decision? How would you describe your character as a lawyer? Wrapping Up – prior to leaving the initial consultation, spend some time to ask the attorney if there are any questions you have failed to ask, or anything else the lawyer wants to tell you.