No matter what your situation is, going through a divorce can take its toll emotionally. Whether you’ve had an amicable split or things have spiraled out of control, your first step should be to find a divorce attorney who can help you with your case. If you live in a city, there will be several divorce lawyers to choose from.
When going for your first consultation with your divorce attorney, you must be well prepared to get the outcome you want. Here are several tips that will leave you with the confidence you need going forward.
Write Down Questions
When you arrive for your first meeting with your divorce lawyer, you will likely have a ton of questions on your mind. To prepare you, make sure that you write down all your questions in advance. No matter how big or small, all reputable divorce lawyers will have heard them all before. The last thing you want is to leave your meeting with questions unanswered, especially if you haven’t made your mind up on who to pick. You must choose a divorce lawyer who has excellent communication skills as they will be able to relay information to you in an easy to follow manner. You may feel anxious when going for your first consultation, which is why you must select a divorce lawyer like M. Sue Wilson Law Offices, P.A. who has an excellent reputation in helping their clients and putting their minds at ease.
Prepare Financial Documents
When going through a divorce, one of the biggest obstacles you will face is your finances. Your lawyer will need to thoroughly understand what the process will look like in advance. So, gathering your financial documents before your consultation is key. While your divorce lawyer will be able to gather a ton of information from you directly, having your financial documents to pass over can be a big help.
Bring Your Tax Returns
Your tax returns will show your divorce lawyer a lot about your overall financial circumstances that will be centered around your divorce process. Your tax return information will be highly useful, especially when combined with any other financial documents you have gathered.
Be Completely Honest
You will likely have lots of details of your marriage that you would prefer to keep hidden. However, the more you leave unsaid, the less chance you have of your case being successful. Even if you feel embarrassed by certain aspects of your marriage, being completely open and honest with your divorce lawyer can prepare you for the divorce process and ensure you aren’t caught off guard by any surprising information that may be presented by your spouse. Whether infidelity has broken your marriage, or there has been unreasonable behavior, you must let your divorce lawyer know the ins and outs.
A reputable divorce attorney will put you at ease from the minute you walk into your consultation. To get the most out of your first meeting, all the tips above can help prepare you and ensure you’re ready to get started with proceedings.