Hi there and welcome back. We’ve been explaining the 10 things we think are super critical that all people should address during the initial consultation with an attorney. After all, divorces are stressful. The last thing you need is an ugly financial surprise at the end, or a process that takes waaaaay longer that you expected because your attorney never told you what to expect. In the previous post we covered things like how they plan to communicate with you, how much they charge, and how much experience they have. Moving on we’d like to wrap this up with a look at the last five items on the list.
6. Resources.
Most good attorneys have developed a list of resources they can offer clients during a divorce, to help make the process less stressful, and facilitate a better outcome. Whether it’s a referral to a counselor who can help you deal with the emotional pain, lists of books you could read to help educate yourself about the process, or information on the family court system in Michigan, there are lots of resources available. Ask your attorney what, if any, resources they have that could help you during your journey.
7. Recommendations.
Attorneys who’ve been practicing family law for many years have enough experience to know when a person needs a certain kind of help, or when a situation calls for specific interventions. Things like mediation, or alternative dispute resolution, which can help a divorcing couple work through their differences without paying a fortune for their lawyers to fight it out. Talk to your lawyer about what (if any) recommendations they might make for your divorce.
8. Added Costs.
Obviously, if you hire an attorney you’ll have to pay them for their services. But your attorney’s fees aren’t the only things you’re going to have to pay for during this process. The county you live in (Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, etc…) will charge you a filing fee when your divorce papers are initially filed. You may also have to pay a process server to serve the papers to your spouse, depending on your situation. So be sure to ask what other possible expenses you may incur along the way.
9. Paperwork.
Hopefully, when you arrived for your consultation, you were as prepared as possible. (That means you bought copies of most of what your attorney needs, like marriage certificates, paycheck stubs, and your prenup.) But if there are documents you forgot (or didn’t know you needed), make sure your attorney gives you a complete list. The sooner you can go home and put all the missing paperwork together and get it back to your attorney, the sooner your case will proceed.
10. Predictions
If your attorney has been practicing family law for a long time, they’ll have a feel for how different situations get resolved. Obviously each divorce is different, but an experienced divorce attorney can usually tell you how they think a judge might rule on certain issues, or whether or not your plans for a certain outcome may succeed. Ask your attorney what their predictions are, so that you can adjust your expectations accordingly, and adapt your future plans if needed.
Divorces are messy, but with the right help you can do it!
There is almost never a divorce that can be called “easy”, or that goes according to plan. Divorces are emotional, stressful, and time consuming. But with a highly skilled and experienced divorce lawyer to help you with the complex legal aspects, and the right resources at your disposal, you can make it through this and come out the other side ready for a new start. Call The Kronzek Firm today at 866 766 5245 to schedule your free consultation and let us help you through this difficult time.