Family law is an umbrella term used for a lawyer who handles several types of cases. Most family lawyers handle issues like divorce, adoption, pre-and post-nuptial agreements, child custody, and child support.
Sometimes, family lawyers in Neptune Beach specialize in just one or two of these areas. If you have decided you need an attorney to help with your child custody case, you likely know finding the right one is important.
At Griffin Law, you can feel confident the lawyer working on your case has years of experience handling cases like yours and that they will fight aggressively to help you achieve the best possible outcome for your case.
However, because it’s important to be informed and know what to look for, some tips to help you find the right child custody attorney for your case can be found here.
Consider the Attorney’s Location
It’s smart to try to find a lawyer who is located nearby. In fact, it’s best to ensure your trial will take place where you are living and where your family law matters have occurred.
If you have moved recently, it’s a good idea to hire an attorney from the state where you have lived the longest.
A good way to find local options is by searching for the term “child custody attorney” and adding your current city name. This will help you find all the options nearby.
Quality Communication Matters
It’s important to find an approachable attorney. They should make you feel welcome, even if it is only out of a professional obligation to do so. Cases involving child custody can be morbid, messy, and often traumatizing; details are an essential part of the case.
In these situations, having an attorney who you feel comfortable with is essential. If you aren’t comfortable, there’s a good chance you will hit several roadblocks. Communication also includes several different types of communication. For example, along with in-person and phone meetings, is the attorney willing to communicate via email or text? Sometimes this is necessary, especially with the busy schedules most people have today.
Your attorney shouldn’t have any issue adjusting to what mode of communication you are most comfortable with. This will ensure you can remain updated about what is going on with your case and not have to carve out time from your busy day to always meet an attorney in-person for updates.
Experience Working with Different Cases and Clients
Child custody cases are often complex. There are usually different layers that must be peeled back to fully understand what is going on. You need to hire an attorney who has experience working with all types of clients and on all types of cases to ensure they can be beneficial to your case.
The proper type of experience will also help the attorney you hire to handle all types of situations and issues that may arise in the courtroom.
A quality child custody attorney will be able to help you understand all aspects of the process, what’s going to happen, what to expect, and the most probable outcome based on their experience. If an attorney doesn’t seem to have much experience with cases like yours, it may be smart to look elsewhere for legal services.
While this is important, you also need an attorney who knows the laws. They should understand how to guide your case and give you the best chance of getting the desired outcome for your trial.
Make sure you hire an attorney who has plenty of experience handling child custody cases like yours. Be sure to ask your family law attorney questions.
Meets Your Budget Needs
Hiring a lawyer is expensive. While the rates depend on the law firm you choose, the price can be high. If you want a general idea of what you will likely spend, most family attorneys charge around $250 per hour.
Sometimes, you will need to meet with the attorney you hire multiple times and for more than an hour. If this is the case, you will be committing a lot of money to their services. There’s also no way to know how long your child custody case will take to settle. Because of this, it’s a good idea to get all the information needed about charges, fees, and rates before choosing an attorney.
Find out what the attorney’s typical timelines look like and what will happen if the case goes beyond this. You also want to know all the fees related to the services provided by the attorney you hire. For example, what do they charge for copies, filings, etc., and when are payments expected?
When you can gather these details, it’s possible to figure out if it aligns with your current budget. Sometimes family law attorneys offer payment plans, but this isn’t offered by all attorneys. The best thing you can do is discuss your options with the attorney you want to hire.
Hiring the Right Attorney for Your Child Custody Case
Child custody is a sensitive topic. Because of what’s involved with these cases, it’s imperative that you find the right attorney. You want someone you can trust and that whom you are comfortable with.
While it can take some time to find the right attorney for your case, the time and effort you put into this decision will be worth it. At Griffin Law, we are dedicated to providing our clients personal service and ensuring they feel comfortable discussing their situations with me. To help, we need full transparency and honesty about the situation. This is the only way to help a client get the outcome desired for their case. Contact us today to learn more.
Read More:
Benefits of Co-Parenting Your Children
Getting to Know the Different Types of Florida Divorce
