Everyone is nervous meeting a divorce attorney for the first time...even if you are the person seeking the divorce rather than you were served and now need to hire an attorney and respond. Whether uncontested or contested there are many questions that you will likely have and many answers that you are hoping to receive.
The first consultation is an opportunity for you to determine if you think the attorney will be the right one for you. Does the attorney have thorough divorce law experience, does the lawyer listen well, does the lawyer communicate well, does the office appear neat and organized, does the staff greet you professionally and does the attorney inspire confidence. These are just some of the many questions that you alone will determine.
Most lawyers will want to ask you questions so that they have some general knowledge of your situation including the length of the marriage, your ages, the ages of children (if any), your occupations and average annual individual earnings, the approximate value of your home and outstanding mortgage, approximate bank balances, approximate investment account and retirement account balances, existence of pension plans, approximate credit card or other debt balances and any specific situations that might be related to the health of each spouse and of the children. If there is a pre-nuptial agreement that should be discussed as well.
If there are any issues with domestic violence, drug, alcohol or other addiction issues, these should be discussed.
Once the attorney has a general overview of the basic marital situation it would be usual for an explanation to be provided of the process for an uncontested or contested divorce, the method in which assets are valued and typically distributed, the difference between sole and joint custody, the general method of child support and spousal support determinations and any other general questions that you may have.
The attorney will also explain what the retainer fee and hourly charges are if you were to hire the attorney. Likewise, the attorney can explain whether the work will be done primarily by the attorney and if there are associate lawyers in the firm the role that they will play and the difference in hourly rates. While it is difficult to estimate the time involved in a contested case however, if the spouses are in general agreement the lawyer can explain the process for the drafting and review of a settlement agreement.
The key is to try and hire the right attorney initially and not later on realize that a mistake was made. Recommendations from other professionals such as your non-divorce law attorney, accountant or friends who have been divorced can be very helpful. Online reviews also serve a purpose as long as they don't appear manufactured or in such large volume that there is cause to wonder if people are being compensated to leave reviews. Keep in mind that price is not everything because a high quality experienced attorney may handle your case much more efficiently and ultimately be less expensive.