What Should You Ask Before Hiring a Divorce Lawyer?

Choosing a divorce lawyer is choosing the person who will stand between your family and a bad outcome. The consultation is your interview of them. Good questions reveal more than any website.

ASK ABOUT FOCUS

Ask how much of the lawyer's practice is family law, and what kinds of family law cases they handle most. Domestic relations is its own world, with its own judges, rules, and rhythms. Ask whether they have handled cases with issues like yours: a business, executive compensation, a contested custody dispute, or an appeal.

ASK ABOUT APPROACH

Ask how they think your case should be handled, and listen for a plan rather than a pitch. Ask how they approach settlement, and what happens if settlement fails. A lawyer who prepares every case for trial negotiates from strength; a lawyer who fears the courtroom negotiates from weakness.

ASK ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND COST

Ask who will work on your case, how quickly calls are returned, and how billing works. Ask what drives cost up and what you can do to keep it down. Clear answers here predict a healthy working relationship.

THEN TRUST YOUR JUDGMENT

Credentials matter, and so does candor. The right lawyer tells you things you may not want to hear, explains the law in plain words, and treats your questions with respect. You are hiring judgment, not just a filing service.

TALK TO A COLUMBUS FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Cousins Family Law welcomes exactly these questions from prospective clients throughout Columbus and Central Ohio. This article is general information about Ohio law, not legal advice.