Divorce Lawyer Consultation: Questions to ask
When consulting with a divorce attorney for an initial consultation, it's beneficial to acquire as much info as possible. Maximizing your time requires that you prepare a list of questions you should get answers to prior to your consultation. If you neglect to prepare and forget to ask about crucial info, you may end up having to pay the lawyer to address those concerns at a later time. Normally, your concerns will likely associate with financial and child custody issues.
Attorney Fee Structure
The first concern you must ask the divorce attorney during the consultation is about her cost structure. Particularly, you would like to know whether the attorney will bill you for each hour she spends on your case, including the time she invests addressing your questions, or whether it's a fixed fee. Given that divorce procedures can in some cases take years to complete, you must prepare for the monetary ramifications.
Divorce Procedures
Every state has different procedures you and your attorney need to follow to declare divorce. Although the length of time required to complete a divorce will always depend upon the intricacy of your circumstance, your attorney should supply you with a quote of the timeline. If you work full-time or have other responsibilities that consume a bulk of your time, understanding of important divorce procedures and the time dedications they need can help you prepare for what lies ahead.
Alimony Issues
States have particular guidelines that dictate whether a partner might seek spousal support from the other partner. Sometimes, eligibility connects to the length of your marriage, whether you or your spouse stays home to raise kids, or even the disparity in earnings between partners. For that reason, despite whether you Divorce Attorney Newport Beach CA are the spouse looking for the alimony or have concerns about your liability for its payment, raising the question throughout the preliminary assessment with your lawyer can provide 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 independently agree regarding who will maintain custody, it's important to understand from the start which factors are important to state judges when choosing which moms and dad to award custody to. You need to ask your lawyer what your opportunities are of acquiring custody of your children. Because child custody issues sometimes lengthen divorce procedures, it's finest to know which issues are best to concede and which to challenge. You may likewise ask about alternative conflict 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 simple formula for allocating joint properties between partners. Nevertheless, the formula varies for each state given that state residential or commercial property laws will dictate the ownership rights of each partner. Therefore, it's essential to ask the divorce lawyer what the legal structure for splitting marital assets remains in your state.
For more information, contact:
The Law Offices of Saylin & Swisher
5031 Birch Street
Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 577-9240