Five Tips for Hiring a Family Attorney

Five Tips for Hiring a Family Attorney

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You and your spouse have been having issues for a while. One day it comes to a head and you both decide it would be for the best to get a divorce. Family matters like this can be sensitive. That’s why you need a family attorney who can work with you during this difficult time. Not make things harder.

There are a wide variety of family-related law issues. It’s important that you find an attorney who can handle your specific situation. To help you pick the best attorney for you, check out the following search tips.

Look for Referrals

The first thing that you should do is ask your family and friends if they have either been in the same situation as you or know someone who has. They can tell you what attorney that they went through to resolve their case. If you've had to go through a law office for something completely different in the past they will be knowledgeable about other offices in the area. They may be able to give you a few referrals.

Do a Background Check

Once you have a few names that you can work with you'll want to do a thorough background check on them. You'll be giving them a lot of confidential family information after all. If you can, try to get some information about their past cases to get a feel for their methods. This will be a good reflection for how they will handle your case.

Check for Professional Experience

Make sure they have the proper certifications to take on your case. After you've determined that, it's only a matter of finding out how many cases like yours that they've won. Make sure you look or ask for specific numbers. Find out how many years that a particular practice has been around before you hire them. You can sometimes find this information on their website or by calling and asking directly.

Determine Charges and Rates

Some attorney's rates can get expensive even for small family matters. It's up to you to decide if the attorney's experience and services match up to the cost. Make sure that the expense is in your budget at all. If it is then get a full list of the attorney's services and the charge for each service.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Do not be afraid to ask questions. You're giving someone a lot of money to perform a service so you should be treating it like a job interview in a way. Here are some of the basic questions that you should be asking when you call.

  • Do You Handle Family Issues Regularly? – Ask this question in the event that your situation is rare. While the attorney may not have seen a situation like yours before if they've handled a bunch of different family cases, they may know enough where they can figure things out.
  • For What do You Charge? – If you can get a complete walk through of what you're being charged you can determine if their services are worth the money. Their charges may include long distance telephone calls, postage, research fees, mileage, and time spent in general. These may be all little charges for the most part but they will add up quickly.
  • Do You Provide a Detailed Bill or a General Bill? – This can be important for budgeting purposes because you'll know exactly where your money is going.
  • Who Will be Working with Me? – Larger practices will have several attorneys that handle cases. It's important that you ask the person on the phone if you will be working with them or someone else. You need to find out who you will need to contact specifically. Sometimes, if your case is more complicated then others, you work with a team of individuals. If they feel the need to put a private investigator on it, you may work with them too. Make sure you get names and find out how experienced they are.
  • How Does Someone Contact You? –In order to get the best response time, it's best to know how you can contact your attorney. Ask what the attorneys preferred form of communication is. Some prefer emails and some prefer phone. Sometimes they prefer both but their response time is much faster depending on their case load.
  • How Do You Handle Issues When They Arise? – As much as you would like for your case to go as smoothly as possible, there is always some sort of issue. You want to ask this question because if the attorney can't give you you the bad news then that should raise some flags. They need to be able to tell you any potential problems and how they plan to try and work around them.

Hire the Best Family Attorney for Your Case

Are you about to go through some type of divorce? Want to get custody of your children? No matter what your situation is, you're going to need the best family attorney to help you solve it. As long as you know what to be looking out for and what questions you should ask, you should be able to find one to suit your needs. Don't let just anyone take your case. Take the time to do thorough research and work with an attorney you feel that you can truly trust.

What A Family Attorney Can Do For You

What A Family Attorney Can Do For You

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Photographer: Sebastian Pichler | Source: Unsplash

What exactly is a family attorney and when would you need one? A family attorney is someone who looks after any legal matters that affect a family. It would seem that the title is self-explanatory, but in fact it's a little complex. If you're very lucky, you'll never need the services of one, however, it's rare that families won't need an attorney at some point. In order to ensure the best handling of your affairs, it's best to find someone who is experienced in the legal matters that surround your specific situation.

Most people think that family attorneys only deal with divorces, but there are many other legalities that they deal with including adoption, child custody, guardianship and wills. If someone decides to take a case against another member of the family, that's another case when a family attorney would be required. Below you can find explanations on the different types of issues that a family attorney can handle.

Divorce

Even though divorce rates appear to be decreasing, it's still a sad fact that just under 50% of marriages end in divorce. Going through a divorce is challenging for all family members involved. Even if both parties plan to have an amicable split, there can be unforeseen circumstances that arise in the process. Emotions make it quite difficult to handle everything without any outside assistance. This is one of the most important times to get the help of a family attorney. They can act as a mediator and advise both parties on how to settle the matter cleanly. They can also assert their legal obligations to each other. Most divorces do not need to go to court. Having a good family attorney can help couples avoid the hassle, pain and expense of a court case. If the split is acrimonious at all, it makes sense to each consult separate family attorneys to manage the divorce.

Pre-Marriage Legal Advice

When people are in the blush of love and planning a wedding, they may not consider any legal advice. However, this is an important time to consult a family attorney. They can help you plan for the future and safeguard documents and finances. A family attorney can help you draft a prenuptial agreement that is fair. It may seem unromantic, but many people have been very thankful in the long-run. Family attorneys can also help with marriage registration in some states.

Handling Adoption

Adopting a child is a huge emotional step for a family, but it is a big legal step, as well. A good family attorney should be consulted in advance to ensure that everything is above board. When adopting, there are several processes to adhere to, and if you are moving a child across state lines, then you must be very careful that you have followed the letter of the law. Consult a family attorney near you so that you can welcome your newest family member without any issues.

Child Custody Agreements

Many families these days are formed in different ways. Some couples may not be married but may have a child together. When the couple splits, regardless of the scenario, figuring out how to manage the children of the relationship can become a problem. As children are so cherished, it can become a very emotional argument as to who gets to keep them and when. A family attorney can help mediate the situation and draw up a child custody agreement that both parents can follow. Your family attorney can also amend this agreement at a later date should there be any changes to the living situations. Once again, people can save a lot of money by hiring a good family attorney, in order to avoid lengthy court battles over their children.

Guardianship

When a family member is sick or losing control of their faculties, it may be necessary to appoint a guardian for them. Family attorneys understand the ramifications of this and can assist in the process, which can be long and rather confusing if you aren't familiar with the legalities. It can seem like an insurmountable pile of paperwork, but this will be navigated with ease by a family attorney. This will ensure that everything is done legally and prevent any problems arising from the guardianship.

Estates and Wills

A will is a legal document through which people state how they would like their property to be managed when they die. If you have very little and your situation is straightforward, then you can make a will yourself but getting it checked by a family law attorney will ensure that you have covered everything.

If there is an estate to be settled upon a family member's death, a family attorney can ensure that it is executed in the correct way. They can also assist with any disputes that may arise when settling the estate.

Court Representation

Although the aim of family attorneys is to settle as much as possible outside of court, sometimes it's necessary to go through this process. If it is a matter of divorce, custody or estate, then it is best to have a family attorney representing. They will help get justice for the litigant. Make sure you choose someone with extensive experience so that they have the practical know-how as well as the legal theory to back it up.

Family attorneys deal with emotional, legal and financial affairs. They can navigate the minefield where these things meet in order to make life easier. It's good to find one nearby and have a chat with them as to how they can help with your family matters.