When you’re thinking of hiring family lawyers, you might wonder how you’ll find the right firm. Fortunately, family lawyers usually offer a free or low-cost initial session before any commitment is made. The idea of sitting down with family lawyers and asking questions might at first seem intimidating, but it gives you a great opportunity to see if they’re the right choice for you. In this free or low-cost session, you can ask any and all questions you have that will help judge which family lawyers are more suitable. Not sure which questions to ask? This article details four questions to ask potential family lawyers.
Question #1 – How Much Will it Cost?
It’s essential that you ask this rather direct question straight off the bat. This is because there are various ways that family lawyers may choose to bill you. Some lawyers bill per hour, which can add up quickly even with numerous short phone calls included in the bill. Other lawyers bill per case, which will give you a better idea of what you’re in for, although that final figure may not include fees for lodging paperwork and other tasks. If you’re not opting for a flat fee, make sure you ask how long it will take to settle the case, otherwise you’ll have no way of knowing how much you might be up for. You may also want to ask family lawyers if they have any special policies on payment such as a sliding scale for low income earners. It never hurts to ask.
Question #2 – What is Your Experience In?
This is a very important question, because you want to know what kinds of cases the family lawyers in front of you have handled before. There are various aspects to family law, and not all of them will be relevant to you. Ask what kind of cases a lawyer usually takes on, as well as how successful their results have been. You want to choose family lawyers who have taken on cases like yours, and who get great results too.
Question #3 – How Do You Communicate?
Before you agree to working with certain family lawyers, you need to understand how they communicate with their clients. Make sure you ask them about this in the initial session. Ask things like how frequently will you keep me updated on the case? What medium will you use to communicate with me about the case? What is your communication policy? How long must I wait before I hear back from you? Do you offer a within 24-hours reply? All these questions are vital for giving you an idea of their communication style. With this information in hand, you can assess whether working with these family lawyers will be difficult or easy.
Question #4 – Can I Trust You?
Family lawyers deal with very personal things, and due to the need for complete transparency on your part to get the best outcome for your case, you need to trust them. While you can’t directly ask “can I trust you?”, you can ask this internally about any family lawyers that you interview. It’s a lot easier to have full disclosure with family lawyers that you trust. The best way of testing if you trust the family lawyers you meet is to tune into your gut instinct. If your gut instinct says it’s a green light, you’re probably safe, but if it indicates a red light, then be warned.
