Hi. The top five questions to ask a potential family law lawyer during a consultation.
Well, number one, ask how much of their practice is devoted to family law and how much of their practice is committed to court. The reason for that is you don't want to get a lawyer who just dabbles in family law. It's too complicated and too important to have someone who just does it as an offshoot. Also, you don't necessarily need someone who goes to court all the time. Most cases don't need to go to court and so you need somebody who has a balance of skills and can help you get a resolution in a timely and effective manner.
Number two, ask if they've had training in collaborative practice or mediation. Most cases are settled through negotiation, and having training as a collaborative practitioner and as a mediator will really help your lawyer do a good job for you.
Number three, ask your lawyer how you can help keep your costs to a minimum. That will really help you understand their commitment to being cost effective and help you start to build a good relationship where you're working together in a cost effective, efficient manner.
Number three, or number four, ask them "Why do you practice family law?" That is probably the most important question, because you'll really get a sense of who this person is and whether you're a good fit, the two of you together.
Lastly, what I would suggest is you ask them, you know, "What are the next steps in my case and how do you envision this case being resolved?" so you know what's going to happen next, your role, and the lawyer's role toward getting a resolution. So, those are the five questions I would suggest you ask your family law lawyer.
