Legal battles can be a headache and a financial drain, especially when unprepared. A recent surge in DIY divorces — couples splitting by preparing their own divorce paperwork without lawyers present — saw women at greater risk of financial loss in retirement. To counter this problem, hiring a specialized family law attorney can help you understand your rights and the implications of a divorce. It will also help ensure that any agreement reached is legally binding.
Choosing the right family law attorney for your case can be overwhelming. Family lawsuits can encompass divorce, child custody, domestic violence, and elder abuse. Having an experienced and specialized family attorney for your specific need can save you from any legal wrongdoings, as well as unnecessary financial or asset loss in the future. In today’s post, we’ll explore four tips for choosing a family law attorney:
Understand the qualifications
Choosing the right attorney for your unique case requires familiarity with what they do. As we’ve mentioned, family lawsuits vary depending on what is being disputed, and attorneys often specialize in specific subcategories within family law to better serve their clients. Aside from specializations, standard qualifications are also a must. Essential qualifications of a family law attorney include a bachelor’s degree in law, a Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school, state bar admission, and a minimum of three years of experience in family law.
Your family law attorney should be able to advise you on legal matters and interpret relevant laws while interacting routinely with caseworkers, supervisors, and relevant authorities. As is typical with family lawsuits, family attorneys must also supervise and direct mediation sessions on top of offering legal advice. When choosing a family attorney, it’s important to ask any inquiries you have during the interview and raise clarifications.
Start looking as soon as possible
As described above, choosing the right family attorney for you isn’t an easy process and certainly not something you should do on a whim. Searching for the right, qualified, experienced family attorney may take time. Often with family lawsuits, however, you may not have much time to find a good attorney. If you think a dispute within the family may end in a lawsuit, it’s best to start searching immediately to be better prepared for what’s to come.
The sooner you get in touch with a family law attorney, the sooner you will learn about your rights. In specific cases such as divorce, for example, it will also help you to know your (and your spouse’s) financial position and rights over assets with a divorce attorney hired and ready. Family lawsuits can be hectic and confusing, and people may be emotional or act rashly, which is why you must get legally prepared as soon as possible.
Rely on the reviews
We’ve mentioned that most attorneys and law firms today have websites and an established online presence. This makes them easier to reach out to, but it also means their information and experience are readily accessible for you to check. When looking for a family attorney, you want someone you can trust, so most people rely on referrals from friends and family members and, as a bonus, online reviews.
Checking out online reviews of family law attorneys you may be unsure about on their website or their law firm’s website can be helpful for your decision-making process. At the very least, you can narrow your list of choices to qualified family attorneys you can trust with your case and skip the shadier ones.
Clarify the costs
Lastly, hiring a lawyer can be expensive, with rates ranging from $300 to $600 per hour. Some attorneys charge a flat rate for a whole package, and others charge an hourly rate. Additional costs may also be included and vary depending on the case’s complexity. A standard attorney fee usually includes consultation and retainer fees and possible transportation costs.
Clarifying all these costs and your attorney’s charging method — flat rate or hourly rate — should be part of your interview with your attorney. This will make sure you are financially prepared to take on the lawsuit. Some law firms also provide free consultations to get a closer look at your case before you hire them. A referral from a friend or family member can help you anticipate costs or even lower overall rates.
