5 Important Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Family Law Attorney

Family law is a branch of civil law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Family matters are often emotionally complicated, so it’s essential to find an attorney specializing in a particular area appropriate for your unique case. 

In California, for example, some of the most common cases include divorce, child custody, paternity issues, and more. And because cases like these are often stressful and confusing at times, make sure you search for the best Orange County family law attorneys to represent your case. 

However, before hiring an attorney for your specific situation, you need to know what questions to ask, as this will help you reduce stress and give you the confidence you need to make the right decisions.

Here are a few questions you should ask when hiring a family lawyer.

How long have you practiced family law?

With experience comes wisdom. So, you’re going to want to ensure that the lawyer you’re hiring is experienced with a certain type of case and has the necessary family law knowledge to handle your case. Bear in mind that you’ll want a professional on your side who intrinsically understands human psychology and conflict dynamics.

For example, if you live in California, the team at McCunn Law can help you obtain the best possible outcome because they are a highly knowledgeable legal team who is well-versed in the nuances of California family law. 

Whether you’re in the beginning stages of a divorce or dealing with the after-effects, you’ll want a professional lawyer who is skilled at negotiations and litigation and can deal with different challenges that may come up regarding your circumstances. 

You can click here to hire a experienced family law attorney in Fort Myers.

What are the strategy and possible outcomes in my case?

During your initial consultation, it is important to ask about the strategy. Most lawyers will not give specific legal advice before you hire them, however, they can let you know how they’ll approach your particular case. Note that the strategy will differ from case to case depending on the situation, whether you need legal assistance with divorce, child custody, or other family law needs.

Sometimes, a case can be straightforward, such as an amicable consent order for child custody and support. Equitable distribution, on the other hand, is driven by local rules and is contingent on the amount of marital property, and this may take from 3 months to 2 years. Pay particular attention to lawyers who promise you will get everything you ask for because the reality of family law is that everybody must compromise some.

How do you communicate with your clients?

Knowing how your lawyer handles communication with clients is very important. Ask about their policies and standard operating procedures for response times to phone calls and emails. Also, find out about their preferred form of communication, and make sure you’re comfortable with how they communicate before you hire them.

You’ll need an experienced family law attorney who is going to keep you up to date with information about your case. They should be able to call you back when they miss your call and answer your emails within 24 hours. Knowing their preferred contact method will also help you reach them faster, enabling continuous communication.

What are the major issues you see in my case?

Cases are bound to have some issues. Even if your case goes as smoothly as possible, there might still be a few hiccups along the way. If your potential attorney cannot share the bad news with you about your case, you should be concerned. They should be comfortable sharing issues about your case during your consultation.

However, if they’re painting a pretty picture or offering you everything you want, you should be skeptical about hiring them. Make sure you ask about their approach when dealing with potential issues since every lawyer has a different way of handling cases. Some of them are more aggressive than others, and some treat the case differently depending on whether children are involved or not.

What about your team and how much is this going to cost me?

How many people will work on the case depends on its complexity. Sometimes, lawyers will bring on extra paralegals and associates. Additionally, if things get dicey, a personal investigator might get involved as well. You should ask about this so you can make sure they’re experienced. You’ll also want to find out whether your lawyer has worked with them in the past and how much it will cost to add them to your case.

Keep in mind that hiring an attorney will not be cheap no matter where you go. However, it’s still good to know what price range you’ll be looking at. You wouldn’t want to get slapped with a surprise fee for travel costs later. If you cannot afford the lawyer’s services, try elsewhere. You wouldn’t want them to stop working halfway through your case just because you cannot afford them.

Conclusion

When dealing with divorce or a custody case, you’ll need the best person to represent you. The only way you’re going to be able to get this person is by asking them the right questions. Keep in mind that family matters tend to be very emotional, so don’t hire someone who’s going to add even more stress on top of that. Beware of attorneys that will promise you everything you want.