Anybody can bring their family law case to so and so’s friend, uncle etc. Many attorneys will take an occasional family case to earn a few extra dollars, thinking that the client might bring them a lucrative personal injury or estate planning case in the future. To select an appropriate family law attorney you need to determine if he/she is competent to handle the specific law case and whether they are comfortable communicating with the attorney.
To determine whether the attorney is competent ask the following questions:
1) How long has the attorney been in practice?
2) Does the attorney specialize in family law? What percentage of the attorney’s practice is composed of divorce and family law cases?
3) Does the attorney regularly practice in the specific court where your case will be heard - A good way to test this is to ask them to name the specific judges who sit at that court and to have them tell you a little about their tendencies - who do they think would be the best judge for someone in your situation? the worst? why?
4) Has the attorney handled enough cases that they can lay out a general strategy for a case like yours in the first meeting (don’t kid yourself - your case usually isn’t that unique)? And what level of detail can they can give you as to how the case will probably proceed?
5) Does the attorney have specific suggestions as to what you should do now? What are the reasons behind these suggestions and do they make sense?
6) Is the attorney willing to discuss a general range of fees and costs, his/her hourly rate and other details of the expenses and costs involved with you case?
Even if an attorney is competent to handle your case, they might not be appropriate if you can’t effectively communicate with them.
1) Is the attorney readily available to schedule an initial appointment?
2) Does the attorney follow up that appointment with a call, message etc.?
3) Does the attorney return your calls in a timely manner?
4) Do you feel comfortable speaking with the attorney? Do you feel the attorney is being honest and forthright with you? Does he really seem to care about your situation, or are you just another client?
5) Do you feel that this person has your best interests truly in mind and is this someone who will tell you the truth - even if it’s something that you don’t want to hear?
6) Do you have or do you think you can develop a good rapport with this attorney?
Barry Lewis, Attorney at Law - Divorce Lawyer Massachusetts - http://www.DivorceLawyerMa.com