Getting The Court Representation You Deserve

Going to court to establish custody of a child is never easy. However, it tends to go more smoothly when you have a good attorney by your side. As soon as you know you'll be pursuing a child custody case, you should start interviewing attorneys so you can pick the one that best fits your needs. Here are four key questions to ask before hiring a child custody attorney.

How many child custody cases have they pursued?

Family attorneys can handle many different types of cases, from divorce to custody to adoptions. Not every family lawyer is going to have equal experience with child custody. Ideally, you'll hire someone who has worked on numerous child custody cases in the past. They will have learned a lot from those cases and will be able to apply what they've learned to your case.

How often do their clients settle out of court?

In some cases, parents are able to work with their attorneys and reach an amenable child custody agreement without having to go to court. This often saves on time and expenses. Ask a prospective attorney how often this happens for their clients. Note that this is more common in some areas than in others, depending on how the local courts handle child custody cases.

Will they, themselves, handle your case?

At some larger law firms, the partner attorneys may rely on newer, less experienced attorneys to do a lot of their work. This can be a perfectly okay approach, but you want to know up-front whether it is the approach your attorney will take. If your case is really sensitive, you may feel more comfortable hiring an attorney at a smaller firm who does most of the work themselves. This will mean you have to interact with fewer people.

How much do they estimate your case will cost?

It can be difficult for an attorney to estimate, upfront, how many hours of work your case will involve. There are a lot of variables involved, such as how many times the judge calls you back to court. However, it does not hurt to ask in order to get an idea of how various lawyers' costs compare.

If you ask these four big questions, you will get a better idea of how each child custody attorney operates and how well they can serve your needs. With such an important matter, it is worth taking your time to choose an attorney. For more information, contact a family attorney near you.