People contemplating taking legal action to resolve a dispute involving their family are often nervous, emotional and stressed. This can be especially true when they go to meet with a family law attorney for the first time. Although it can be a challenge, we suggest you keep your focus. Remember that time is money, and be prepared for your first meeting. We hope providing the following list will help you feel more prepared.
Suggested items to bring with you when you visit your family law attorney for the first time:
- Any court order relating to the issue at hand. If you want to change your parenting plan, child support order or other order, be sure to bring the actual order with you. It is very hard for an attorney to advise you on the proper way to ask that an order be changed (or if it is even possible to do so) without having the order in front of them.
- Other documents related to your legal issue. If you are asking for a change in your spousal maintenance or child support, you may want to bring your tax return, or recent paystub including year-to-date pay amount. If you are asking about a change in your parenting plan (or initial creation of a parenting plan), you may want to bring a copy of your calendar, showing when the child was at your place, and when the child was at the other parent’s home.
- A list of questions you would like to ask during your initial consultation. This might include questions that help you learn a bit about the attorney you are meeting with. You may want to ask about fee structures that are available, the attorney’s litigation style, and how much experience the attorney has in the area of law you are inquiring about.
- Any intake form the law office might ask you to fill out. When you make an appointment, you might ask if there is a client intake form that you could fill out in advance.
- Any other documents the attorney requests you to bring. When you call to make an appointment, ask whether there is anything you should bring with you to your first meeting.
Please feel free to contact us if you’d like to setup an appointment to talk about your family law issue.