Women are so often seeking attorney recommendations online. This makes perfect sense. Unless you’ve been divorced previously, you have no idea of who to work with….it’s your first time! What I don’t often see is women asking how to go about determining if an attorney is the right fit for them. So today I want to share with you the questions you should ask of multiple attorneys before you hire your representation. And the good news is that many attorneys will do a free 15-30 minute consultation with you. So use this time very wisely to see if the attorney is going to be the person you should move forward with.
To start with, make sure you really think ahead about what you are going to say to this attorney. And by that, I mean figure out how to say what you need to say in the SHORTEST AND QUICKEST amount of time…every minute you spend talking is time the attorney is not talking, and they’re only giving you a handful of minutes of their time. Do not share ANYTHING that is irrelevant from a legal perspective. If you’re unsure of what is relevant, stick to basic facts and do not get into storytelling. For example, telling the attorney about the slow unraveling of your marriage over the last 5 years and details about what a jerk they are may not be pertinent legal information (although I do believe you!). Figure out the facts of your “case” and share what that relevant information is. And then, ask these questions:
1. “Have you handled cases like mine before (e.g., with kids, business, or high assets)?”
This will help you understand if they have the experience you are looking for. This is particularly important if you have a unique situation or circumstance (i.e. you and your spouse own a business together or you have a child with special needs).
2. “What’s your typical approach to divorce?“
This will help you understand their strategy and whether it aligns with your preferences. If you get a sense they are too passive for your liking, or conversely sound as some refer to as a “bulldog” and will be too aggressive, they may not be the right fit for you.
3. “If I decide to move forward in hiring you, what would the next steps be?”
This answer will provide clarity on their process and their planning. Understanding how they approach the process and their timeline will help you determine if there is an alignment.
Two really important follow up questions would then be:
4. “How do you communicate with your clients and how often?”
It will be important to understand how accessible they’ll be. How many cases they are working on and how often they are in court will be a big factor.
5. “Who will be working on my case, you or other team members?”
You’ll want to know who is actually handling your divorce. Some attorneys work alone and others work as a team. You may only want to deal with a singular person, or you may decide you love a team approach as it gives you additional support and communication.
6. “What’s your fee structure and how do you bill?”
It is really important that you understand the financial expectations upfront. You can also ask for a range of the typical total fees you should expect to incur based on similar cases they’ve handled.
7. “Based on what I’ve shared, what challenges do you see in my case?”
I love this question because it’s going to give you a sense of confidence about what they foresee happening. If they start rattling off all sorts of things that you feel strongly would not be an issue, then this attorney may be more litigious than others. On the flip side, if they tell you this is going to be a walk in the park, and you know based on your soon-to-be-ex that there’s no chance it’s going to be problem-free, then this attorney may not be the right fit and you may need someone with a more aggressive approach.
Every conversation you have will give you insight as to how to approach your divorce and with what legal counsel. Make sure that these conversations are taking place during a time and in a place where you have privacy for the conversation as well as the ability to take copious notes.
There are fantastic attorneys out there who are ready to partner with you and walk alongside this process with you.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author, an independent professional or contributor, and do not necessarily reflect the views of DivorceSquad.com.
Suzanne Thelen founded Divorce Squad following her own divorce which was both overwhelming and difficult to manage while working full time and being the mother of her then 7 year old daughter, 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter. Suzanne’s goal in creating Divorce Squad is to connect individuals to a professional network whose expertise can enable better decisions.
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