Meeting with a Family Law Attorney

Most Family Law Attorneys offer a free initial consultation. This is a great chance for you to get more information about the divorce process and about your case.  Rather than relying on your friends’ experiences and their well-intentioned, but not necessarily wise words of advice (i.e., don’t move out of the house; don’t pay child support until you are ordered to pay, etc.) an attorney can help you make some smart decisions from the start.

Before meeting with an attorney, think about your goals. You may not know the right questions to ask, but if you know what you want, your attorney can explain the process and the law involved to get you there. Whether your goal is to have 50% parenting time or to avoid paying spousal maintenance for the rest of your life (or to get spousal maintenance for the rest of your life), an attorney can help you understand the likelihood of getting what you want from the court as well as what you can do to put yourself in the best possible position to achieve a favorable outcome.

Realistic Expectations for Your Case

An experienced family law attorney should give you some realistic expectations for your divorce. You might be able to shop around and find an attorney who will tell you that you will get everything you want, but that is not going to end well if the attorney has set unrealistic expectations. Anyone who takes an unrealistic stand is going to spend ridiculous amounts of money litigating an issue which s/he is likely to lose. You need an attorney to tell you both the strengths and weaknesses of your positions so you can assess the cost/benefits of litigating each and every issue.

Once you understand the realistic outcomes of your case, you can make smart decisions about how to negotiate and when to dig your heels in and let a judge decide. From the beginning though, the key is giving some serious thought to what your goals are, and working with your attorney to realize what is possible, you can minimize the time, expense, and emotion spent in the divorce process.

Contact us today for your free initial consultation and we will help you better understand your rights and your options for your specific situation.