Ten Questions to Ask a Prospective Divorce Attorney

1. Do you specialize in divorces, or are divorces just a part of your practice?
   
   
2. What is your strategy for my case? How long will it take to resolve my case?
   
   
3. How long do you take to return phone calls? How do I contact you if there is an emergency? What do you consider to be an emergency?
   
   
4. Will anyone else in your office be working on my case? What experience do they have? Can I meet them?
   
   
5. How will you charge me? What is your hourly rate? Do you charge for the time I spend with other lawyers, with paralegals, and/or with legal assistants? If so, at what rate?
   
   
6. What amount is the retainer that you require be paid before you take my case?
   
   
7. What costs, other than your own, do you expect will be involved (for example, fees for private investigators, accountants, property appraisers, etc.), and how will you charge me for them?
   
   
8. What is your estimate of the total cost to me for this divorce? (Do not be alarmed that most divorce attorneys will resist answering this question, as the cost of a divorce depends upon the level of conflict and complexity in each case. However, the way in which an attorney answers this question may help you assess the quality of the attorney: an honest attorney will often answer that it is difficult to estimate the costs in advance, while an attorney that quotes your an unrealistically low amount may just be trying to get your business.)
   
   
9. Do you allow me to negotiate directly with my spouse? How can I keep the cost of my divorce down? Are there tasks that I can do myself to cut down on the amount you will charge me?
   
   
10. What can you do to help me understand the tax effects of the decisions that I will have to make?