Divorce Lawyer Consultation Questions

These important questions to ask a divorce lawyer during your initial lawyer consultation can help you choose the best attorney to handle your case. The best attorney isn’t the most expensive or the most experienced. The best attorney is someone who can handle your case in the manner in which you would like and obtain you a fair result at a fair price.

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It’s critical that you match the experience level and size of the firm you hire with the needs of your case. If you need help finding available lawyers in your area, you can submit your information for a free case evaluation from a local divorce attorney!

Know who you are hiring and why you are hiring them. These questions can help you find that person.

Questions about general experience:

1. How many divorce cases have you handled?

2. What percentage of your cases are in my county?

3. What percentage of your cases go to trial?

4. How many of these cases involved _____________ [child custody, support, business valuations, or large financial settlements - issues which may be a major concern for you]?

6. Do you have the available time to take on my case?

7. Do you know the attorney for my spouse?

Questions about day-to-day operations:

1. Who will assist you on my case? Can I meet them now?

2. What is the experience of the people assisting you?

3. What work would each member of the team do and what work would you do?

4. Who will attend settlement conferences, meetings, etc.?

5. Who will handle court appearances? What about a trial?

6. If I have questions, whom do I call?

7. What hours are you usually in the office?

8. Do you have any time-consuming cases coming up?

9. Will I get copies of all paperwork in my case?

Questions about fees:

1. What are the billing rates for each team member?

2. Will your rate change if we have to go to trial?

3. Do you charge a retainer, and how much is it?

4. What happens when the retainer is used up?

5. Will you keep me informed each month as to how much of the retainer has been depleted?

6. What happens if I can't pay you when the bill comes in?

7. How can I get my spouse to pay for my legal fees?

8. How much will I be billed for copies of documents?

9. What extra costs should I expect besides hourly charges?

10. Am I billed for phone calls and how much?

11. Is there a minimum amount of time you bill me for?

12. What is the average fee for a case you handle from start to finish?

Questions about how the case will be handled:

  • What type of participation will I have in decisions concerning the strategies in my case?

  • How will I be kept updated on developments in my case?

  • What issues do you anticipate occurring in my case?

  • How much do you think my divorce will cost based on my situation? 

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In addition to the above divorce lawyer consultation questions, here are some related articles about choosing a divorce lawyer and more: