The first step in most divorce cases is making an appointment for your initial divorce lawyer consultation. Sometimes, clients come to see me before they have even decided to divorce. At this meeting, you will get an opportunity to interview the attorney, discuss the facts of your case and develop a plan of action. However, the meeting will only be worth your time if you are just as prepared as your lawyer. Here are my 5 hacks for getting the most out of your initial divorce lawyer consultation.
Do your research before scheduling your initial divorce consultation.
Not all divorce lawyers are the same. Before making the appointment for your initial divorce consultation, be sure to check out the attorney’s website. Here are some things you should be looking for:
- Is the website professional?
- Do they specialize in family law?
- What is the attorney’s approach to these types of cases?
- How long have they been practicing?
- Have the handled cases similar to yours?
Answering these questions will help you decide if this attorney may be the best one to handle your case. Don’t waste your time (and money) by meeting with a lawyer that you already know won’t serve your needs.
When calling to make the appointment, be clear on whether there is an initial consultation fee and the amount. I also suggest asking how you can pay for the meeting. Many firms take credit cards but not all of them.
Pick a date and time where you won’t need to rush out quickly. You don’t want to forgo asking your questions because you have to leave to pick up your kids or get back to work. If you do have time constraints, tell the attorney up front so they can run the consult accordingly. Also, I really discourage you from bringing your children. A divorce law office is no place for kids and you want to make sure that you can have your initial divorce consultation distraction-free.
Be prepared with your financial numbers at your initial divorce consultation.
Discussing actual numbers rather than theoretical facts and figures always makes an initial divorce consultation more productive. I’d rather discuss the client’s actual finances rather than just giving general advice. By bringing this information, the attorney will be able to run child support calculations and even develop a rough proposal for division of assets.
Obviously, some of these documents may not be at your disposal. That’s okay. However, if you can, I suggest that you bring the following financial documents with you:
- Most recent federal income tax return;
- Most recent paystubs for you and your spouse (if possible);
- Summary of the current balances of your assets and liabilities;
- List of monthly expenses for your house and your children; and
- Completed family law intake form provided by your attorney (if provided in advance).
Bring any prior orders or agreements to your initial divorce consultation.
Lots of my initial divorce consultations occur because something has been filed in court and my client needs help with that issue. However, not every consult starts at the beginning of the case. There are times when I am meeting with a client who has been representing themselves for awhile. Other times, the parties are already divorced and a new issue, such as custody or child support, has arisen and the client needs to find a new lawyer.
If any of the above situations apply to you, then you should bring the following paperwork to your meeting:
- Last custody agreement or order;
- Transcripts from any court appearances;
- Copy of Property Settlement Agreement or Property Division Order;
- Last support agreement or order;
- Recent correspondences that you may have received from the other side’s attorney;
- Notices for any upcoming hearings; and
- Complaint or Petitions that are pending.
Come with a list of questions and ask them.
My best initial divorce consultations are the meetings where the client has questions. In fact, those questions give me some of my ideas for the articles that I post on this blog. I would suggest writing the questions down and bringing in the list or having it on your phone. While I try to anticipate the questions that clients will have, you may have something specific that you want to know that we did not discuss.
Meeting with an attorney can be intimidating for some and discussing these emotional issues may cause clients to forget what they really need to know. This is where your list of questions will come in handy. Feel free to write the answers down as well, particularly if you are feeling emotional and don’t think that you are absorbing all the information that the attorney is providing you.
Read this before bringing someone with you to your initial divorce consultation.
An initial separation can be a very emotional time. Why do you think I keep a box of tissues in my office? As a result, many clients want to bring a third party (usually a parent or a sibling) to their initial divorce consultation to act as their brain, particularly if they think they are going to get upset discussing the facts of their matter.
I do not discourage people from bringing in a third party if they have this concern. However, attorney-client privilege is only applicable for conversations between the client and their lawyer. Having a third party in the room destroys that privilege.
Please keep this in mind if you want to address certain topics with your attorney that you would not want to be disclosed later to the other side. Perhaps those issues should be left for a second conversation where the third party is not present.
Also, think about who you want to bring and choose wisely. Do not bring someone who is going to take over the consult or steer the conversation to topics that you don’t wish to discuss. I also strongly suggest only bringing one person with you. I find it difficult to have a good conversation with the client when there are two or more other people in the room also asking questions.
Are you ready for your first initial consultation?
Your initial divorce consultation is only as effective as you make it. Therefore, do your homework before making the appointment. Bring all relevant financial and court documents for your lawyer to review. Come with questions and, if necessary, a third person that will help you understand the lawyer’s advice and not take over the meeting.
Following these tips will help you get the most out of this important first step in your case. Have any questions? Other tips? Feel free to comment below.
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Related: Six tips for keeping your legal fees low.
Related: Seven tips for choosing the right divorce attorney.