What Should You Expect During a Consultation With a Divorce Lawyer?

When you get married, there are well-known websites like TheKnot.com to guide you through the planning process. When you have a baby, you’ll probably get three copies of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”. What about when you get divorced?

Sure, you’ll have plenty of family members, friends, and other concerned parties clamoring to offer up their two cents when you’re going through a divorce, but what you really need is sound advice that isn’t colored by emotional involvement. You need a qualified and experienced divorce lawyer.

Still, it would be nice to know what you’re getting into, and you definitely want to come prepared so as not to waste time and money. Here are just a few things you should expect when consulting with a divorce attorney.

Paperwork
During your first meeting, you’ll want to bring a variety of documents pertinent to divorce proceedings, potentially including financial information (tax returns, pay stubs, and other financial data on assets and liabilities of your estate) and legal documents (prenups, birth certificates for children, etc.), just for example.

In truth, these aren’t expected during the initial consultation, but you’ll have to bring them later on anyway, so you may as well save some time. This will also help your attorney to get a clear picture of what you’re dealing with and how complex the case is likely to be.

Evidence
Many states have no-fault divorce proceedings, which means that one or both parties in a marriage can file for divorce and the outcome (in terms of division of assets, child custody, and so on) may not necessarily rest on who is actually at fault for the split. Family courts don’t necessarily care if one spouse is an adulterer, for example.

It’s always best to produce any evidence for your attorney if you have it, especially in cases where some type of abuse is the reason for seeking divorce, since this could affect the legal strategy. If you happen to live in a state where fault can be assigned, the evidence you provide could make a huge difference in the outcome of divorce proceedings.

Questions
Your attorney will have plenty of questions for you, but you also need to come prepared with your own questions pertaining to what you can expect throughout the process, your options for proceedings (for amicable versus contentious divorce), how to handle child custody, alimony, and so on, and of course, associated fees for legal services.

Competence and Compassion
If there are two things a person going through divorce wants in a lawyer, they are competence and compassion. If you can only find one, go for competence – you need an experienced lawyer to guide you through the process and help you get all your ducks in a row.

Don’t underestimate the value of a little compassion and understanding, though. Your lawyer is not your mother, your friend, or your psychologist, but considering the inner turmoil you’re going through, a little sensitivity is in order.

The Gucciardo Law Firm is dedicated to making divorce as smooth and stress-free as possible. Call us now at (248) 723-5190 to schedule a consultation.