Hiring a divorce attorney is something you can’t avoid when dissolving a marriage, and you will want to hire a quality legal advocate. As in any profession, there are varying degrees of skill among divorce lawyers in your community. By asking the right questions, you can improve the likelihood that you’ll hire a competent and experienced lawyer.

The Best Questions to Ask Your Potential Divorce Attorney

1. In Which Areas of Practice are You Most Experienced?

There are two reasons you will want to ask this question. First, to know how much experience the attorney has in handling divorces. If the lawyer does have the experience, you should ask what percentage of those cases had favorable outcomes for their clients. This statistic will help you determine the skill level and success rate of the attorney. Additionally, this is an excellent way to find out if the attorney has experience with other areas of law, such as estate planning, which is also relevant to your divorce.

2. How is Your Billing Conducted?

You should always ask this question upon your initial consultation. Divorces are unpredictable and may not as quickly as you expect. For this reason, you should know whether the divorce attorney will bill you by the hour, or offer you a flat fee. Additionally, attorneys may bill for every memo, phone call, and message, so find out how your potential lawyer defines billable time. You should also request a detailed fee schedule, so you will know in advance exactly how and when the bill will come.

3. How Heavy is Your Case Load? 

Find out how many cases the typical attorney handles at one time and how many cases yours is currently handling. You should also ask how often to expect to hear from the attorney about your case. Larger family law firms employ paralegals, so ask whether you’ll hear from the attorney directly or a paralegal. Asking these questions in advance helps you avoid lapses in communication throughout your divorce.

4. Are You Open to Mediation?

While a standard divorce hearing is an adversarial process that pits the spouses and their lawyers against one another, mediation is a more civil way of dividing assets and settling child custody issues. Not all attorneys have experience with or are open to mediation. If there is a possibility that you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement through mediation, you should hire a lawyer experienced in assisting in this proceeding.

Arndt Buswell & Thorn S.C. is a comprehensive law firm in Sparta, WI. If you need a divorce attorney, they have the expertise to help you reach a fair and favorable settlement. Since a divorce often involves such prominent issues as dividing assets, establishing child custody, and arranging support, you should hire attorneys with a broad range of legal expertise. To learn more about the firm and its legal team, visit their website. To schedule an initial consultation, call them at (608) 269-1200.