6 Key Questions to Ask When Hiring a Family Lawyer
Perhaps you’re adopting a child and need assistance with navigating the legal adoption process. Or maybe you’ve decided to get a divorce, and you’d like to secure full-time custody for your child. Either way, hiring a reputable family lawyer should be your top priority. Find the ideal legal expert you can trust by asking these questions:
How long have you been a family lawyer?
Newly minted lawyers have the skills to win your case and help you achieve your desired outcome. However, you’ll often get better results when you work with a long-serving family law specialist. Through their experience in handling cases and navigating the legal system, they know the right approach to use to ensure the success of your case while reducing the stress and headaches that you’ll experience along the way.
What cases do you usually handle?
Family law covers adoption, divorce, domestic violence, and many other legal matters. While there’s nothing wrong with working in most or all of these areas, people often see better outcomes when they hire lawyers who specialise in the specific field that they need assistance with. For instance, If you’re about to be married and want to get your legal and financial affairs in order, you should find a lawyer who specialises in prenuptial agreements.
Have you worked on similar cases?
Different cases have different details and results, but experienced lawyers know how to extract nuance from each and use it to fine-tune their methods for the next case. Ask your lawyer about how they handled cases that were similar to yours and find out if they successfully represented their clients and helped them achieve their goals. It’s also a good idea to ask how they’ll approach your case differently based on what they learned from their previous cases.
What’s your pricing structure?
While you should never hire a lawyer based on their rates alone, you do need to ask about how they charge their clients. This way, you can prepare your finances and gather enough funds to see your case to completion. Most lawyers charge hourly rates (which are often based on their seniority), although they often have fixed fees for documentation drafting, mediation assistance, and other services. Take note that lawyers’ fees are not the only thing to consider; you also have to factor in court fees, barrister fees, fees for expert witnesses, and more.
How do you communicate with your clients?
Does your lawyer prefer to communicate through calls or emails? Will you be able to reach them directly, or will you need to schedule appointments or go through their secretary? Asking these questions will help you find a lawyer who has excellent communication strategies in place and won’t leave you hanging during critical moments when you need their assistance.
What can I expect with this case?
Good lawyers can give you an overview of the process and explain how your case may play out. Having this insight will give you the chance to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally and reduce your stress and anxiety.
Dealing with family issues isn’t easy, but you’ll make the process less difficult by hiring a family lawyer. Use these questions to find the ideal legal expert to trust and ensure the success of your case!
Also Read: Top 10 Reasons to Hire Azadian Law Group, PC for Employment Lawyer
