Do YOU Know What You Should Ask a Divorce Lawyer?

5 Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer
By Jacob Malewitz

The phrase, "there is no such thing as a bad question," applies well to legal questions. Ask all the questions you can, but there are some certain ones to benefit from.

Questions About Experience

You ask some simple questions. How many divorce cases have you handled? Were any of these settled out of court? Do you have experience with difficult divorces? You can also ask more to the point. How can you help me win? How have you helped others win? Do you have any referrals?

While some of these may seem obvious, most going through a divorce rush the issue, hoping to get the case closed and move on. This is why mistakes occur. Without an experienced divorce lawyer, you may potentially lose child custody rights, lose the right to live in your home, and lose money because of paying alimony. Therefore, experience is crucial.

Questions About Availability

How heavy is your workload? In other words, you ask how many cases they are currently handling; if they have no legal aids and a lot of cases, it may speak to their availability. Will you or a different lawyer handle my case? In some divorces, you hire a firm, not a single man or woman, and your case can be passed down to someone with less experience. Also ask how soon your lawyer can begin.

Questions About Fees

Did you skip ahead to the questions about price? Fees are something we all worry about. Settle on fees from the very beginning. If you can't agree on fees, it's pointless to ask further questions. How much do you charge? Do you have a retainer? Do you charge hourly? Will I pay for added expenses? Will this divorce cost more if it goes to court? If we settle out of court, will that be better priced?

You are not being charged with a criminal offense, but almost always some big things are on the line, such as custody of children, rights to homes and cars, and how money will be managed in the future. It's important to pay the correct fee in order to avoid losing it all, but you should not spend tens of thousands of dollars. Be upfront on what you can afford. Pay nothing until you agree on final rates.

Basic Questions on Divorce

You likely have some questions for your divorce lawyer too. How can you win? Do you have a chance of retaining custody of your children? What if you were the one working, while the spouse was managing the home? What if there are issues of infidelity? What if your spouse lies about certain issues? All of these are important questions to ask.

Choosing a Lawyer

How can you decide on a lawyer? One resource is your local state bar. If you are in Georgia, for example, you can find information on lawyers at the Georgia State Bar website, Gabar.org. Looking online has advantages too: you can study a lawyer's experience and ask for a quick quote. Instead of focusing entirely on costs, take into consideration experience.

Jacob Malewitz recommends http://www.DivorceAttorneyHome.com/ for divorce and child support help. They offer a free online case review to get started.

Article Source: 5 Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer