On behalf of The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A.
Choosing the right lawyer when getting a divorce can play a critical role in the outcome of the proceedings and your long-term satisfaction. Although getting divorced can always be a stressful experience to some degree, you could enjoy some peace of mind as your divorce is finalized if you know you’ve hired a lawyer you can trust to offer the professional assistance you deserve.
One way to determine if an attorney is equipped to serve you is to ask certain questions of a lawyer during your initial meeting. Although the specific questions you decide to ask may depend on the nature of your circumstances, general questions to consider bringing up include the following:
What is your strategy?
A lawyer’s strategy may develop over time as they become increasingly involved in your case. You shouldn’t necessarily expect an attorney to provide you with a complete breakdown of the manner in which they will approach your divorce when you first meet with them.
That said, a lawyer should be able to generally describe how your case will be handled. While they can’t promise they will finalize your divorce within a certain timeframe, depending on the situation, they might be able to give you a basic estimate of how long resolving your case will take.
How will we communicate about my case?
You should understand that your lawyer will have other clients. In order to do their job properly, they must also devote some of their attention to those clients and their needs, along with yours.
Still, you want to know if you’ll be able to contact your attorney for updates. The experience of getting a divorce is less burdensome when you are kept abreast of your divorce’s progress.
Ask a lawyer how you will be able to contact them when you have questions. Ensure you’re comfortable with their answer when deciding to hire them.
Do you have an estimate for the total cost of my divorce?
This is another question a divorce lawyer may not be able to provide a specific and complete answer for just yet. Quite simply, too many variables can influence the cost of a divorce for a lawyer to accurately determine precisely what yours will cost when they’re only first meeting you.
That’s not to say an attorney can’t provide some insight into how much you might spend on a divorce. After all, you need to be able to make financial plans when choosing to hire an attorney.
Do you have testimonials from former clients?
A divorce attorney should be enthusiastically willing to answer this question. They want you to know they can be trusted to handle your case properly. To that end, when you ask a lawyer if they can provide references from past clients, you should expect them to confirm that yes, they’d be glad to provide testimonials.
At The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, our Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney knows that choosing the right lawyer when your marriage is ending can be an overwhelming experience. We strive to make it easier by happily answering your questions during our consultation. Learn more about what we can do for you by contacting us online or calling us at (954) 988-0334.