What happens during an initial consultation?
When you first meet with an attorney in our office, we will obtain a brief history of you, your spouse, and your family. The attorney will look over your history together as well as any assets accumulated during your marriage and advise you of the law in regards to child custody, alimony, and property rights, as well as counsel you on how to best protect yourself and your children legally.
How long will my initial consultation last?
A typical consultation will last from one to two hours. Depending on the facts of your case and how long it takes you to disclose everything, you should prepare for a longer session, as it may take the attorney some time to go over all of your options with you.
What should I bring to my initial consultation?
You are not required to bring anything with you. However, if you have been served court papers by your spouse, or if you have a separation agreement drafted between you and your spouse, these would be helpful to bring to your appointment.
May I bring anyone with me to my initial consultation?
For this appointment, it is best to come on your own. Your relationship is between you and your spouse, and we want to make sure we get all the facts from your point of view without outside influence. Bringing in a third-party can also nullify your attorney-client privacy privileges.
If you do wish to have a parent or family member at your appointment, they may wait in our lobby for you to finish your consultation until something concerning them needs to be addressed (fees, etc).
May I bring my children to my initial consultation?
If it can be helped, it would be better to not bring your children. We understand that it may be difficult to find a relative or sitter to look after your child depending on the time of your appointment. However, we will be discussing some very serious and sensitive topics during your consultation. Some of these topics will involve your children themselves.
If you cannot find someone to look after your children, they may wait in our lobby. We will have crayons and movies available for them.
How much will my case cost?
Every individual case is different. Different factors like the length of your marriage, the number of children you have, and the amount of assets to be divided between the two of you all affect the cost of a case. An attorney can discuss the different factors and realistic expectations of cost once we have gone over everything with you at your initial consultation.
