Posted by DivorceLine in Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer
You will need to prepare a list of questions to ask a divorce lawyer before you meet for an initial consultation. Otherwise you will leave the interview unsure if they are a good divorce lawyer, or better or worse than other lawyers.
The following list of questions to ask a divorce lawyer will determine if they are a good divorce lawyer, a good lawyer for your case, and of course a lawyer you can afford.
Lawyers often charge initial consultation fees so you will want to gather as much information as possible. Ask the same set of questions at each interview – it will be easier to compare divorce lawyers – and don’t trust your memory. Write the answers down.
Questions about the lawyer’s Experience and Expertise
- What percentage of your cases are Family Law and Divorce cases?
- Do you have any special training or certification in Family Law and Divorce that distinguishes you as a “divorce specialist”?
- For how many years have you been handling divorce and family law cases?
- For how many years have you been practicing in this state/county?
- Do you have courtroom experience?
- How many of your cases went to trial last year?
- Do you personally have any additional expertise/experience that may be useful in my case? (e.g. financial expertise, extensive child custody and support experience?)
- What additional expertise is available in your law firm if needed? (e.g. accountants.)
- Do you have experts outside of your firm that you regularly work with? (e.g. accountants, psychologists, counselors.)
Questions about the lawyer’s Philosophy/Management Style
- What is your usual or preferred strategy or “philosophy” for handling a divorce case?
- Do you recommend mediation to your clients?
- In what circumstances?
- Are you a trained mediator/trained in collaborative law?
- Overall, what percentage of your divorce cases go to trial?
- In what circumstances?
- Do you encourage or discourage direct contact between spouses?
Questions to ask about Case Management and Contact
- Do you have time for my divorce case, or a heavy caseload at this time?
- How long do you think my divorce will take?
- Besides yourself, what other people in your firm would work on my case? (e.g. paralegals, associate lawyers)
- Will you be the person responsible for negotiating my divorce case?
- Who will I meet and talk with most often during my divorce? You or your assistant(s)?
- Will I be able to contact you directly?
- How will I be able to contact you – by email/phone/fax?
- Do you have a policy regarding how soon client calls are returned?
- Will I receive copies of all legal documents and correspondence?
- Does your law firm have malpractice insurance?
Questions to ask about Fees and Expenses
- Is a retainer payable and if so, how much?
- What are your fees per hour?
- How are your hourly fees charged? (e.g. by the exact number of minutes or in blocks of 5, 10 or 15 minutes, etc.)
- Do you charge additional or higher fees if a case goes to trial? (e.g. for days in court.)
- What are the hourly rates for the other people in your law firm who would work on my case? (e.g. paralegals, secretaries, associate lawyer.)
- What other professionals may I need to pay and what are their fees? (e.g. accountants, property appraisers, child psychologists, private investigators.)
- What other services will I need from your firm and how much will they cost? (e.g. new will, property appraisal, deeds, trusts)
- What office expenses will I be charged for? (e.g. faxes, photocopying, etc.)
- Are there any other fees/expenses that I need to know about?
- In total, how much do you estimate my divorce will cost? (e.g. a best case scenario/minimum cost, or likely range.)
- Are there any ways in which you believe your firm offers better value to clients?
- Will you provide a written agreement regarding fees and expenses?
Wrapping up
- Ask the divorce lawyer if there is anything else you should know or that they would like to add, and thank them for their responses.
- Ask if you can meet others in the firm who would work on your case, now or later.
- Ask if you can call if you have any further questions for the divorce lawyer.
