Look up the lawyer’s directory and you will find a long list of family law attorneys. Not every lawyer that you come across is qualified to handle your case. The following are 6 things you need to consider in order to find the right family law attorney.
- Determine Whether You Need a Lawyer
Firstly, you need to determine whether you need a family law attorney. You don’t need to hire an attorney if you know how to file the divorce yourself. Usually, there is no need to hire a lawyer if you and your spouse are amicable and the divorce does not involve any quarreling on the assets or child custody. On the other hand, if you are inexperienced, you can hire a family law attorney to handle the case. You can hire family lawyers Irving TX for various purposes including draft a prenuptial agreement, divorce, and separation, or make changes to a divorce agreement.
- Decide the County to File the Divorce
Next, you need to decide the county where you want to file the divorce case. Usually, the divorce case is filed in the county where the person who is filing lives. You will need to let your spouse know about the county you choose. He will state whether he agrees to the country in the response to the filing. The decision cannot be appealed after the court has made the decision to allow the process to continue.
- Search for a Lawyer in Your County
The next step is to search for a family law attorney that lives in the county where the case is filed. You can start researching on the web and compile a list of possible attorneys. There are several places where you can research family law attorneys including American Bar Association, your state’s bar association, lawyer directories, and local yellow pages. You can also ask your friends for referrals to other attorneys. You will need to narrow it down to 2 – 3 lawyers. When narrowing down your choice, you should take into consideration several factors such as finances and personal situations.
- Interview with Lawyers
Next, you should meet the lawyer in consultation and ask questions. It is recommended that you interview at least 2 lawyers before making a decision. First, you need to make sure to check whether the lawyer charges any fee for the initial meeting. You can ask questions like how long the attorney has been in the field, does he has a good track record of handling similar cases, what is the outcome of the case, and what kinds of documents you need to prepare for the lawyer’s office.
- Find Out What Documents You Need to Bring
You can check the website of the attorney for the documents that you need to bring. You should make a few copies of the documents before giving them to your attorney. Some of the documents you need to bring are tax returns, payslips, documents on all the assets you own, documents on the debts, court documents, and documents related to family matters.
- Be Prepared to Answer the Lawyer’s Questions
You must be prepared to answer the attorney on the details about your finances. For example, if the attorney asks you how much is the total value of your asset, you must be able to give a rough estimate. If not, the lawyer will have to spend time evaluating your assets.
