Divorce Lawyer Consultation: Questions to ask
When meeting with a divorce lawyer for an initial consultation, it's helpful to get as much information as possible. If you stop working to prepare and forget to ask about crucial info, you may end up having to pay the attorney to answer those questions at a later time.
Attorney Fee Structure
The first question you should ask the divorce legal representative throughout the assessment has to do with her charge structure. Particularly, you need to know whether the attorney will bill you for each hour she invests in your case, consisting of the time she spends addressing your questions, or whether it's a fixed cost. Considering that divorce proceedings can in some cases take years to finalize, you should prepare for the financial implications.
Divorce Procedures
Every state has various treatments you and your attorney should follow to file for divorce. Although the length of time necessary to complete a divorce will constantly depend upon the complexity of your scenario, your attorney needs to offer you with an estimate of the timeline. If you work full-time or have other obligations that take in a bulk of your time, knowledge of essential divorce treatments and the time commitments they require can assist you get ready for what lies ahead.
Spousal support Issues
States have specific guidelines that dictate whether a spouse might seek spousal support from the other spouse. In many cases, eligibility associates with the length of your marriage, whether you or your partner stays home to raise kids, or even the inconsistency in incomes between spouses. Regardless of whether you are the spouse seeking the spousal support or have concerns about your liability for its payment, raising the concern throughout the preliminary assessment with your lawyer can supply you with insight into your prospective liabilities as you proceed through the divorce.
Kid Custody
When you have children with your spouse, and are not able to privately concur regarding who will keep custody, it's important to comprehend from the start which elements are very important to state judges when choosing which parent to award custody to. For that reason, you ought to ask your lawyer what your chances are of obtaining custody of your kids. Because kid custody problems often prolong divorce procedures, it's finest to know which issues are best to concede and which to challenge. You may also inquire about alternative dispute resolution like mediation or arbitration if you feel going to trial is something you 'd like to avoid.
Dividing Marital Assets
Many state divorce laws provide a Family Law Attorney Kennewick WA simple formula for allocating joint possessions in between spouses. The formula varies for each state because state home laws will dictate the ownership rights of each spouse. It's important to ask the divorce attorney what the legal structure for splitting marital properties is in your state.
For more information, contact:
Clearwater Law Group
5205 West Clearwater Avenue
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 734-8500