What Happens When You Hire a Family Attorney?
Most people never plan to hire a family law specialist. Rather, it becomes necessary due to circumstances beyond one’s control. It can be a nerve-wracking time because you may fear to lose loved ones, your assets, and/ or your security. An experienced family law attorney not only understands this but will explore which legal avenues can be pursued to rebalance your life and set your mind at ease.
Do I Really Need a Lawyer?
One of the most pressing questions for people exploring legal options is whether they really need an attorney representing them. In short, if you’re questioning it, the answer is, “yes.” One of the things Tiffany Fina Law Firm prides itself on is offering free family law consultations. Unlike other firms that charge $250 or more just to speak with an attorney in Scottsdale, we’re glad to meet with you to discuss the specifics of your case at no charge and with no obligation to retain our firm. That way, you can feel confident about your decision no matter which route you go.
Who Does a Family Law Attorney Represent?
Family lawyers focus on virtually anything that may impact a family. They may represent fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, engaged individuals, parents, grandparents, and more.
Petitioner: If you’re the one bringing a case forward and asking the courts to take action, you will be known as the “petitioner.”
Respondent: If you’ve received a letter from the courts stating you must appear or that you must respond to someone else’s request, you will be referred to as the “respondent.”
What Kinds of Cases Does a Jensen Family Law – Mesa Take?
Some examples of cases they work on include:
- Divorce
- Child Custody/ Visitation
- Child Support
- Modifications
- Adoption
- Prenuptial/ Postnuptial Agreements
Will I Have to Go to Court?
Not always. If you and the other parties involved can agree to terms, your attorney will be looking out for your best interests as contracts are negotiated and will handle all the filings. However, you will likely be required to appear in court at some point and your attorney will be right there beside you communicating with the judge on your behalf. Sometimes, a trial is unavoidable or is the best way to ensure you receive the outcome you desire. In these cases, your attorney will be arguing on your behalf.
How Do I Hire a Jensen Family Law – Gilbert?
Tiffany Fina Law in Scottsdale AZ operates a little differently than other law firms do. One major difference is that we don’t charge for consultations. This in mind, the process varies a bit depending on which practice you choose, but you can generally count on three steps.
1) Visit the Office for a Consultation
Consultations are usually about 30 minutes in length, and you should bring all relevant documents to your appointment to get the most out of your time with the attorney. While some practices will have you meet with a junior lawyer, paralegal, or another staff member, Tiffany Fina prefers to meet with all clients personally and oversees all cases at Tiffany Fina Law. During your consultation:
The attorney will…
- Listen to your concerns
- Ask questions about the case
- Discuss possible legal avenues to follow
- Discuss possible outcomes
- Go over his process
- Walk you through a timeline of events and the steps the practice will take
- Explain what he needs from you and when you’ll need to appear
- Talk to you about other legal professionals who will be working on your case
- Go over the practice’s preferred communication style
- Explain what the firm’s billing process is like and what your estimated expenses will be
You should…
- Clarify any of the above if the attorney doesn’t bring it up
- Ask questions
- Find out what kind of experience the attorney has with cases like yours
- Know what your next steps are
- Leave with confidence and/ or a sense of relief (If not, you’re not with the right attorney!)
2) Formally Retain Your Attorney
When you’ve decided you want to hire a divorce attorney Hogle Family Law, the next step is to hire him, referred to as “retaining.”
Fee Agreement: You’ll need to sign a contract, typically called a “fee agreement.” The fee agreement outlines everything your attorney should have already told you, including how the practice operates, how billing is done, and when/ how you’ll pay your retainer fee.
Retainer Fee: Before your legal team goes to work, they’ll need you to pay a “retainer fee.” The amount will vary based on the firm and the complexity of the case. Funds are held in a special account and are withdrawn as charges for things like the lawyer’s time, paralegal’s time, and filing fees are accrued.
Many offices will push you to make a decision on whether to hire the attorney or not at the consultation, with some even requesting you bring the retainer fee with you to the appointment. At Tiffany Fina Law, we typically suggest that you go home after the consultation and think things over, so you can make the decision that’s right for you from the comfort of your own home. We want you to choose our practice because you’re confident in our experience and approach, so there’s no pressure to retain Kevin or any of his attorneys during the initial consultation.
3) Communicate with Your Attorney throughout the Case
Once you’ve retained your Scottsdale divorce attorney, the team goes to work. From this point at on, you should be able to relax, focus on taking care of your family and let the legal team manage everything. They will keep you in the loop about what’s happening with your case and let you know if decisions need to be made or if you need to do anything.
Book a Free Consultation with the Scottsdale Divorce Attorney
If you’re here, you owe it to yourself to get real answers that are specific to your case. We’re glad to meet with you for a free 30-minute case evaluation to go over the details of your matter, so you can decide the best way to move forward with the knowledge only an experienced attorney can provide. Call them to book your consultation or complete the form on this page and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.