Divorce Lawyer Consultation: Questions to ask
When meeting with a divorce lawyer for an initial consultation, it's beneficial to acquire as much details as possible. Optimizing your time require that you prepare a list of questions you need answers to before your meeting. If you fail to prepare and forget to inquire about important information, you may end up having to pay the attorney to answer those questions at a later time. Generally, your questions will likely relate to monetary and kid custody concerns.
Attorney Fee Structure
The very first concern you need to ask the divorce legal representative throughout the assessment has to do with her charge structure. Specifically, you wish to know whether the attorney will bill you for each hour she spends on your case, including the time she spends addressing your concerns, or whether it's a set charge. Considering that divorce procedures can in some cases take years to finalize, you must prepare for the financial ramifications.
Divorce Procedures
Every state has various treatments you and your lawyer should follow to declare divorce. Although the length of time required to complete a divorce will always depend on the intricacy of your situation, your attorney should offer you with a price quote of the timeline. If you work full-time or have other commitments that take in a bulk of your time, understanding of vital divorce procedures and the time commitments they require can help you get ready for what lies ahead.
Spousal support Issues
States have specific rules that determine whether a partner might seek alimony from the other partner. Sometimes, eligibility associates with the length of your marital relationship, whether you or your spouse stays home to raise kids, or even additional reading the inconsistency in incomes between spouses. Regardless of whether you are the spouse seeking the spousal support or have issues about your liability for its payment, raising the question throughout the preliminary consultation with your attorney can provide you with insight into your potential liabilities as you proceed through the divorce.
Child Custody
You should ask your lawyer what your possibilities are of obtaining custody of your kids. Because child custody concerns in some cases extend divorce proceedings, it's finest to understand which concerns are best to yield and which to challenge.
Dividing Marital Assets
Most state divorce laws offer a straightforward formula for designating joint assets between partners. The formula varies for each state given that state residential or commercial property laws will dictate the ownership rights of each partner. Therefore, it's crucial to ask the divorce legal representative what the legal structure for splitting marital assets remains in your state.
For more information, contact:
Clearwater Law Group
5205 West Clearwater Avenue
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 734-8500