3 Important Questions For Your First Meeting With A Divorce Lawyer

Divorce Monday has come and gone, and now it is time to deal with the consequences.  More people file divorce petitions and initiate contact with divorce lawyers on the first business Monday of the year than on any other day of the year.  This year, Divorce Monday is on January 9, which means that there is a good chance that you have just recently found out that your spouse is divorcing you.  Even if you are determined to work things out with your spouse, it is important to schedule a meeting with a divorce lawyer promptly.  If you do not, then your spouse can petition the court for a default judgment, and the court will award her all of the marital property and parenting time that she requested in her divorce petition.  Remember that, at any point in your divorce case, you and your spouse can decide to withdraw the petition for dissolution of marriage. For the time being, it is time to contact a Boca Raton divorce lawyer and ask several important questions to determine whether this law firm is the right choice to represent you.

What Percentage of Your Cases Go to Trial?

Most divorce cases resolve without a trial, since the parties can work out most issues of division of property and parenting time during mediation.  By the time you meet with a lawyer for the first time, you will probably be able to tell whether your case will need to go to trial.  For example, litigation is usually necessary in cases where the couple owns valuable assets and where there is room for disagreement about the value of these assets and the fairest way to divide them.  If your case will require litigation, you should choose a law firm with experience in divorce litigation.

Who Are the Team Members Who Will Work on My Case?

One of the reasons that so few cases go to trial is that litigation is expensive.  Clients want to save money, and law firms want to offer affordable services.  Whether your case goes to trial or settles during mediation, your lawyer will assign some tasks to paralegals and other staff members, reserving the tasks that require a lawyer for the lawyer himself or herself.  Each person at the law firm chooses a different hourly rate, so knowing how the law firm will apportion tasks related to your case will give you an idea of how much your divorce will cost.

Are You a Parent?

Whether or not a divorce lawyer has children is not a deal breaker, but it is easier to strategize about parenting plans with a lawyer who has raised his or her own children.  Lawyers with children understand that, with babies and toddlers, you need to build the transfer from one parent’s parenting time to the other around the child’s nap time and about the challenges of school-aged children trying to keep track of school materials between two households.

Contact Schwartz | White About Meeting With a Divorce Lawyer

A South Florida family law attorney can help you see past the shock of finding out that your spouse wants a divorce and strategize about how to accomplish your divorce affordably.  Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.

Source:

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