The struggle to find and retain an effective California family law attorney can be intense.
First of all, vetting and retaining a lawyer under any circumstance can be challenging. It can be doubly so, when you are in the midst of an emotionally troubled separation or other family crisis (such as a custody battle or domestic violence issue).
Once you start working with an attorney, you still need to be “on the ball” — i.e. to make sure that your needs are met and that lines of communication are satisfactory. Over the next few blog posts, we will offer 8 tips to help you make the most of your relationship with your legal representative.
1. Be honest and disclosing to your lawyer.
Communications with your attorney are private and protected. You can call your ex a “so-and-so” to your attorney without worrying that the courts will find out about the name-calling, for instance. So you can relax and open up. To that end, be disclosing: tell your attorney what’s going on in your life (without embellishing or making things up.)
2. Take good notes.
Your time is valuable, and your attorney’s time is valuable. To maximize the value of the exchange, record your critical conversations, so that you don’t have to ask the same questions twice (or three times or four times). This will help you avoid racking up excessive legal fees and also give you more peace of mind.
3. Ask your questions in batches.
Before meeting with the attorney, do an exhaustive “brain dump” on a piece of paper. Write down all questions, concerns, and thoughts that you want to discuss. That way, you won’t miss anything; you can leave the attorney’s office feeling relieved and satisfied.
Schedule a confidential consultation with our California family law team today.