Hiring the wrong alimony support attorney will cost you in the long term. We look at some important preliminary questions to ask your alimony attorney.
The process of divorcing your spouse is rough enough.
But battling with your spouse regarding alimony can make the experience even tougher.
You’ve already got a lot on your plate. Splitting assets, negotiating child custody — what can you do to make sure that you make the best of proceedings regarding alimony?
By hiring an alimony support attorney, you can do just that. But you’ll need to understand what questions to ask first.
So keep reading to learn more. Below, we’ll give you a few questions to ask your prospective alimony support attorney. This way, you’ll have the kind of legal support system necessary to build the best case possible.
1. How Long Have You Dealt With Cases Like Mine?
There are layers to this question. If you haven’t done too much research into the spousal support lawyer in question, you’ll want to ask how long they’ve dealt with cases in divorce law. This can offer you a boost of confidence that your case will be dealt with using utmost confidence and experience.
Not only that, but you’ll want to ask how much experience they’ve had with cases like yours. This might be more relevant if your case is a bit more off-the-cuff than divorce cases usually are. If you’re not sure if that’s true with you, asking your lawyer this question will help you understand just that.
Some other questions you can ask during the same conversation is how many cases led to a courtroom trial. Not all cases will go to trial, and lawyers typically don’t want it to either. After asking, you’ll want to ask what their winning rate is for courtroom cases.
While many lawyers are great at understanding the law, being able to present a case to a judge is a different story. Asking this set of questions will help you get a good idea of how far they’ll be able to adequately support you while building and representing your case.
2. What Can I Expect?
It can be difficult to deal with a divorce case, both legally and emotionally. But while your divorce attorney won’t be able to be a soundboard for your emotions, they can help you brace yourself for what comes next. Doing so can help you take in the next parts of the divorce process with a lot more stride.
They can help you understand the basic legal steps of divorce, which can help you foresee the emotional difficulties that you might face. You can also prepare documentation and calendar this process so that you have a good, big-picture idea of how the divorce will affect your everyday proceedings.
All this can help you minimize the stress that can stem from uncertainty. Ending your marriage is difficult enough, whether you’re filing for divorce or getting papers served to you. But preparation is key when it comes to streamlining this process.
3. What Can I Tell My Partner?
Hiring an alimony attorney for yourself means putting a divide between you and your partner. But you still might have to communicate with them about the divorce. It still takes two to complete a divorce, even if the process is rife with conflict.
Just like with any other third party, don’t tell your partner about anything that’s confidential between you and your attorney. Doing so can provide your partner with information that can threaten the success of your case.
It can also be difficult to have a constructive conversation with your partner about the divorce. If that’s the case, your attorney can give you tips and tools that can help you facilitate a conversation that helps you and your partner progress the divorce.
But if your partner offers no open avenue for civility, then your attorney might advise you to avoid telling them anything. Otherwise, they might harass you for information to help their case or simply make the process more emotionally difficult than it needs to be.
4. Can I Receive Financial Support for Your Legal Services?
The bare minimum cost of divorce is about $215 in Maryland. This includes the $165 action to divorce without an attorney, and an $80 filing fee. But if you’re hiring an attorney, these fees can hike up.
Not only does the action cost about $185, but an individual attorney’s hourly rates can make this price tag much higher. And if your spouse is particularly stubborn and uncompromising, the case can drag out for longer and produce additional fees.
It’s good to be realistic about your financial health before you select an attorney. Working with your partner towards a collaborative divorce can also help you preserve your finances.
However, this does not mean that a lower income bracket eliminates your chances of great legal representation. Speak with your attorney about other ways you can make the best of their legal services while making them more affordable. They might even have the option for a payment plan, which can help you segment payments into more approachable, bite-sized pieces.
Help Your Alimony Support Attorney Help You
When you’re hiring an alimony attorney, you want to ensure that they’re exactly what you need. Divorce is already a tricky process, and you want to make sure that you’ve got the best legal support possible while you’re experiencing it.
At Blattner Family Law Group, we understand how important hiring the right alimony support attorney is. That’s why we offer stellar family law services for anyone that needs them, including those going through the divorce process. If that sounds like you, then contact us today!