When going through a divorce, it’s always wise to arm yourself with divorce lawyers. Besides the professionals advising you on what you should do to have a smooth divorce, they also serve as a shoulder to cry on and help you go through the highly emotional journey.
To have a great experience with your lawyer you need to do several things that include:
Work with a divorce specialist
Since they want money, some attorneys will pose as divorce attorneys, while they aren’t. As you can guess, this is dangerous. As much as they are lawyers and understand the law, they aren’t the right people to work with as they aren’t in a position to offer expert divorce advice.
The key to finding an expert is to take your time and research around. Many people hire the wrong people as they are in a hurry—don’t.
Divorce proceedings aren’t an emergency so you should take your time to research and find a professional who is experienced and knows what they are doing.
Always ask questions
Some people treat attorneys as bosses but you should know that as a client, you hold the power. After all, if the attorney misrepresents you, you are the one who will be in trouble—not the attorney.
To be sure that you are working with a knowledgeable professional, ask as many questions as possible during the interview stage. Some of the excellent questions to ask include:
- How long have you been in operation?
- Will I have to pay alimony after the divorce?
- How long will the process take?
From the answers you receive, it’s up to you to judge whether the attorney checks out or not. Of course, you should only work with an attorney that is available and you are confident that they will give you the expertise you are looking for.
Besides discussing the divorce process, it’s wise to ask general questions regarding your representation. Some of the excellent questions to ask include:
- How often can I expect an update from you?
- Do you have a paralegal or assistant?
- What is the best way to communicate with you?
After the interview, don’t just take the word of the attorney—try to verify the information. For example, you can call the attorney and find out whether you can easily reach them. If you can’t reach them, take note of how long it takes for them to call back. Of course, you should consider working with an attorney who is easy to reach.
Trust your guts
It’s common for all of us to come across people or situations and we don’t feel right about them. This is called gut feeling and in most cases, it’s right.
Before you start working with an attorney, always visit them and have a one-on-one interaction. Listen to your gut feeling as you are in the offices and interacting with the attorney. How do you feel about the interaction? Do you feel confident that the attorney will properly represent you?
If your feelings tell you otherwise, stay away from the attorney.
Don’t hide anything from the attorney
Once you have found the best divorce lawyers Fairfax VA, don’t hide any details from them. Instead, let them know everything from the amount of money you have in the bank to what you can afford to pay in alimony.
Some people will fail to disclose all the information while others will lie to their attorneys, which is wrong.
To ensure that your attorney isn’t blindsided during the hearing, give them all the information you feel they need. Remember it’s always good when the attorney tells you that certain information is unnecessary than to ask you why you didn’t disclose some information.
