One of the most difficult challenges that someone could ever go through is a divorce. When going through a divorce, you will have to manage through the personal and emotional challenges that come with the ending of a relationship while also figuring out how to split assets, handle childcare, and a variety of other factors. When you are going through a divorce, it is always in your best interest to receive legal representation. As you are looking for a divorce attorney, there are several questions that should be asked that can help ensure you choose the best counsel for your situation.
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What is Your Specialty?
An attorney that has passed the necessary examinations in your case will be able to provide you with any legal support that you need. However, just because they are licensed to provide these services, it does not mean they are experienced with divorce law. It would a good idea to always ask prospective attorneys what their experience is and what they specialize in. It would be a good idea to find an attorney that has experience with both family law and divorces.
How Would You Approach My Case?
No two divorces are exactly the same and the way that they are approached from a legal perspective will also be different. Prior to fully engaging an attorney, you should spend time discussing your situation with them. You should provide enough information as to where they can provide you with a full and educated consultation. They should then be able to offer insight into what strategy they would pursue. It is important that you understand your different options for pursuing a divorce and figuring out which option you think is best. Ideally, you should choose an attorney that is aligned with you when it comes to choosing a path to go down.
What Can I Expect to Happen?
While it is important to have an agreed-upon path to follow, you will also want to get an understanding of what you should expect the process and outcome to look like. Your attorney should be able to go through your situation and give an assessment of the likely outcomes and an overview of what the path will be. Ideally, your divorce process will be civil and will result in an agreement that does not require going through a more formal court process. Your attorney can also provide some indication of what will happen in terms of child support, custody, alimony, and asset splits. They could also give you insight into what the impact will be on your taxes going forward.
Do you Have Time to be Dedicated to My Case?
Anyone that is going through a divorce will find that the case can take a lot of work. There is constant back and forth and negotiations that take place. Due to this, you will want to ensure that you have an attorney that has the time to dedicate to your case. You should ask the attorney what their current caseload looks like and if they will have additional team members that can help you. You should also ask how long it typically takes to receive return emails and phone calls. If the attorney does have an additional team in place, you should ensure that you are comfortable with them and their experience as well.
How are Costs Determined?
Whenever you are going to hire an attorney for any legal issues that you have, including divorce, it is important to know what the cost will be upfront. Most attorneys today will work off of an hourly rate and may have you provide a retainer upfront for their services. You should ensure that you understand what their hourly rate will be or if they can offer a flat rate. If a flat rate is not possible, you should ask what the typical legal bill is for a divorce and what factors could make it more affordable or expensive. This can help you figure out a plan that can help to reduce the total legal costs of your case.
Do You Have References?
Picking up the best divorce lawyer in Toronto is one of the most important decisions that you will make during the process. Due to this, you will want to choose counsel that has a good reputation and tracks record. One way that you can do this is by getting references from past clients. While their ability to do this can be limited based on privacy laws, if they do have references or online reviews it would be a good idea to review them to see how satisfied past clients have been with the service they received.
Hiring a divorce attorney is always a good option and asking these questions will help ensure you choose quality legal representation. When you are looking for divorce lawyers Wolfe & Stec is a great firm to contact. The team here can provide you with all the legal representation and support that you need when going through a divorce. This can include ensuring you understand the process, are comfortable with the plan and approach and are properly represented. This can help the process go as smoothly as possible and ensure that you end up with a fair settlement and treated properly.