Before Hiring an Attorney for Your Family Law Case, Ask a Few Key Questions
Law Rence Harvesting
Choosing an attorney to represent you may be one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. The more selective you are in choosing the best family law attorney for you, the more confidence you'll have -- in the representation and in the legal proceedings. Ultimately, you want favorable results for yourself and your children. Of course, you want to ask how much you'll be charged for lawyer services, how much for paralegal services, how and when you will be billed, and how much of a retainer fee is required. But don't make your decision based on fees alone. Here are a few questions you should also ask before you consider hiring a particular lawyer.
Has the lawyer been sanctioned for an ethics violation?
Attorneys are held to high ethical standards regarding how they practice law and the customer service they provide to clients. Each state's bar association regulates its members and, when necessary, disciplines attorneys with sanctions to punish for acts of professional misconduct. Arizona's attorneys must be members in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona in order to practice law within the state.
A grievance filed against an attorney can lead to reprimand, probation, suspension, restitution, and revocation of the attorney's license to practice law within the state. A relatively minor infraction may be the attorney's failure to pay bar member dues timely, leading to an automatic suspension and an easy remedy. When an attorney's conduct is egregious, as with a felony conviction, then automatic interim suspension followed by sanctions like disbarment may result. You need assurance that the character and competency of your attorney justifies your decision to hire.
Poor legal judgment causes problems for clients.
When hiring an attorney for your divorce, child custody, or parenting time matter, determine whether the lawyer has been disciplined, so ask:
-- Was the attorney disciplined for mishandling a legal matter because of inexperience in the law?
-- Did the attorney fail to adequately prepare the case?
-- Did the attorney fail to get assistance from a more experienced attorney when they should have?
-- Did the attorney fail to take reasonable steps to protect a client's interests both during and after the representation?
-- Did the attorney fail to put forth reasonable efforts to expedite the litigation, delaying a case unnecessarily?
|
