Divorce Attorney Questions Everyone Skips
You have a lot on your plate. The last thing you want to do is hire someone who is the wrong fit for your divorce.
Hiring a divorce attorney is difficult. Give yourself some grace that you are going through a deeply emotional, and tramautic period of your life. Ending a marriage is not something to fly through or take lightly. So every single choice you make during this period has an exponential impact on your future. It’s a bad combination: you aren’t at your best and what you are deciding is making a huge impact.
Don’t forget to ask your potential divorce attorney questions that actually matter
In order to help you make the best decision, we have compiled questions that people often forget to ask when they are interviewing divorce attorneys.
Can you tell me what the “work” will look like?
Some lawyers take your information and run with it. Other attorneys will have multiple “meetings” either in their office or over the phone. You want to know that the divorce attorney you hire is going to be involving you as much (or as little) as you want. Do you want to have late night chats in their office? Or do you want to shoot them emails and otherwise only see them in court? Every attorney is different so it is important to ask how the “work” of the case will actually look.
What do you think about _____?
Everyone has something they are passionate about. Whether that’s a hobby or politics or religion. If it’s important to you, ask your potential divorce attorney where they land. For example, if you are a bible believing Christian you might ask the lawyer where they go to church. Professional lawyers won’t go down a rabbit hole with you on politics or religion but belonging to the same faith community or having other things in common will help you stay on the same page throughout the process. At the end of the day, you need to trust your divorce attorney and sharing the same passions can help get you there quicker.
What advice would you give my spouse?
By asking this question you are learning two things. One, you are seeing how competent the attorney is by flipping sides. What’s the argument against your case? You will know that your lawyer is prepared to take your case if they can see it from all angles. The other thing you learn is for your own personal benefit. Every attorney is unique but seeing the potential perspective of your spouse’s attorney will help you wrap your head around what’s coming down the pike.
What’s the worst case scenario?
Legal battles are not scientific formulas. Whether you are doing mediation or going before a judge, there are loads of variables. Ask your potential lawyer to tell you plainly about the worst case scenario.
This is important for two reasons. One, we oftentimes go to the worst case scenario in our heads but that isn’t always attached to reality. A knowledgeable attorney can tell you that your far fetched nightmare truly is far fetched. Secondly, pay attention if the lawyer starts to squirm with this question. Lawyers are not used car salesmen that are just selling rainbows. Be wary of any legal professional that only wants to sell you on the good possibilities.
Divorce Attorney Questions Help You Make the Right Choice
And lastly, don’t hire the first attorney you talk to. Make multiple appointments and compare how each lawyer responded to the basic questions and the ones we laid out above. Remember this is a huge decision and you are understandably not at your best.
For you, your kids and your future – do not take this choice lightly. If you are in Orange County, we would love to be one of your appointments. Call 949-734-7300 and speak directly to Hollie Lemkin.
