How Do I Prepare For A Divorce Consultation?

To be well prepared for a divorce consultation:

Identify your goals
Write a summary of the case
Prepare a list of questions
Bring along a few important documents
Be truthful, open, and stick to facts

Experienced and reputed divorce attorneys offer one free legal consultation to a potential client. Typically, a divorce consultation is a sales session that lasts about 20 minutes, and it can help you decide if the attorney is efficient enough to handle your case. So, as the time is of the essence, you need to be well-prepared and know what exactly to ask – and to be well-prepared, you need to:

1. Identify Your Goals

Determining your divorce goals depends on the circumstances of your case, and depending on what is going on around you, you need to prioritize things. Here is a list of common goals you can pick and choose from:

To focus on immediate closure because you have been in an abusive marriage
To save your children’s mental health from harm by keeping them away from divorce-related acrimony, and provide them the same standard of living that they enjoyed during the marriage period
To get primary child custody
To get at least $ ____as child support (based on your estimate), in case you are chosen as the custodial parent
To ensure that the other parent shares the responsibility of raising the kids and pays adequate attention to all their physical and emotional needs
To ensure that the other parent is supervised or denied child custody because he/she is not an ideal parent
To live in a home that has the conveniences and space that your marital home did
To at least maintain the same standard of living that you enjoyed during the marriage period
To be financially secure
To get a fair share of the marital property and ensure that your separate property stays separate
To get a settlement amount that will help secure your future
To resolve the divorce in a dignified manner, irrespective of what has happened in the past
To make your spouse pay for the lying, cheating, or abuse that he/she indulged in during the marriage

And so on. Prioritize your goals and state them briefly when the consultation begins so that your attorney is aware of the outcome you desire.

2. Write A Summary

Summarize your divorce case and include basic details such as names of spouses and children, employment details of spouses, monthly income of the family, phone numbers, SSNs, email IDs, ages/dates of birth, children from a prior marriage, and the date on which you or your spouse physically separated. Also, write (briefly) why the marriage did not work.

This summary helps your divorce attorney become aware of all the parties (including the children) involved and the complications that led to the divorce. You can explain the details verbally during the consultation if time permits. Once the attorney is aware of your goals and has the case summary, he/she will be in a better position to guide you throughout the divorce process.

3. Prepare A List Of Questions

You can ask a few questions related to your case. Here are a few examples for you to pick and choose from:

Who will handle your case? What are the firm’s processes?
How will key developments be communicated to you?
Can you contact your lawyer on a 24/7 basis?
How much alimony can you expect to get?
Can you get primary child custody?
How much child support will you receive or have to share with the other parent?
Will you get a 50/50 share of the marital property despite the laws followed by your state?
Do you need a forensic accountant to discover hidden assets?
How long will your divorce case take?
What kind of settlement are you looking at?

Write down the questions as they apply to your situation.

4. Bring Along A Few Important Documents

Remember that there is not much you can discuss in a legal meeting that lasts about 20 minutes. So, chances are high that your documents will not be examined by the lawyer during the divorce consultation. In any case, keep the following documents handy:

Marital property and debt documents
Separate property documents
IRS tax returns
Bank statements
Prenuptial agreement, if one exists
SSNs, passports, children’s birth certificates

5. Be Truthful, Open, And Stick To Facts

Finally, be honest and straightforward during the consultation. Do not spin facts to turn them in your favor – just state the facts and leave their interpretation to your attorney. Also, be frank about what outcome you desire from the divorce, and be open if the attorney says that the law may not grant your wishes.

Typically, the consultation will help you judge the attorney’s experience and effectiveness, based on which you may decide to hire him/her.

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Brown Family Law

4.8

Based on 827 reviews

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Bill C

Carren and Jason were very helpful and quick to respond to my questions and concerns as we worked through my divorce, I would recommend them to anyone.

Response from the owner: Thank you, Bill.

James Herrera

I cannot say enough good things about Brown Family Law. Amy was my attorney and she was great! She always listened and responded quickly. Thanks to her, my case was resolved quickly. Thank you, Amy.

Response from the owner: Glad Amy communicated so well with you, James.

Jace Morris

Fast and kept me involved. Very professional team.

Response from the owner: Jace, thank you.

Shaun Jorgensen

Best attorney ever. They were so helpful and responsive

Response from the owner: Thank you, Shaun.

Christie Berube

When I started my case with Brown Family Law, they had 650 positive reviews. Now, about a year later, they have 820. Not sure how much else you need to convince you, but do yourself a favor and stop looking. You're in the right place.We worked with Nathaniel for nearly a year on our case, and trusting someone with something so vulnerable and close to you as a custody case is difficult, but he made it easy. His knowledge of law and experience with the court system allowed us to make educated decisions quicker. He helped me feel confident in very unfamiliar territory, and having someone like Nate on my team allowed me to make the best decisions possible for our family. He thought of many things I didn't, and gave us the roadmap to success for navigating a complicated and stressful situation. I found myself constantly bragging about our lawyer to family and expressing how impressed I was in his skill and his fearless nature of getting sh** done. Nate got that dawg in him, yanno what I mean?I like the way Brown Family Law works with their clients; it's different than other law firms, and I can see the benefits of those differences. It's always easy to contact someone at the office, and I get a response very quickly. They are extremely communicative, fast, and thorough. They run a tight ship, and it's obvious the quality differences from other law firms.This is a big and heavy decision, but Brown Family Law will take a lot of that weight off your shoulders. Ask for Nate--you won't be led astray.

Response from the owner: Christie, thank you. So glad Nathaniel was able to help you and that we were able to communicate with you so quickly.

Fer Esquivel Guillén

This firm is awesome but special shoutout to Dani, she is an outstanding paralegal. She is very knowledgeable

Response from the owner: Thank you very much for your kind words about Dani.

Karl Bench

I can't say enough about Russell Yauney at Brown Family Law! He has helped me on multiple cases over the years and has always exceeded my expectations. Russell is one of the good guys who isn't afraid to tell you how it is and isn't afraid to stand up and fight for what is right. I'm glad that I have Russell and his team in my corner!

Response from the owner: Karl, glad Russell served you well.

Ryan Farrell

very helpful to fathers who have been broke by the system and targeted for vaporization(1984). Thank you brown family law.

Response from the owner: You're welcome, Ryan. And thank you for the kind words.

Samantha Lachowsky

Nathaniel was my attorney and I couldn't ask for someone more attentive and level-headed than he is. They made my divorce process so much easier and were very patient with me as I navigated the entire process. Thank you Brown Family Law for all of your help!

Response from the owner: Samantha, thank you and so glad Nathaniel did such a good job for you.

Danny Fenstermaker

Used Nathaniel Garrabrandt for a child custody case. He is very good, very professional and available. Having been through this a few times that communication is very important. The only warning, and this isnt just Nate per se, but very very costly.

Response from the owner: Danny, thank you for recommendation. Glad Nathaniel has been able to help you.

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