An initial meeting with a divorce lawyer involves discussing sensitive, complex personal topics while also providing an opportunity to gauge an attorney’s experience and competence. Moreover, it can give attendees a chance to understand divorce proceedings, attorney fees, lawyer communication, and case strategies, but to get the most out of this experience, in-depth preparation is necessary. Discover how to prepare for the first meeting with a divorce attorney, and learn how a knowledgeable Illinois family law attorney can help individuals with their divorce queries; call Johnson O’Keefe today at (312) 319-4444 to arrange a preliminary consultation.
What Does a First Visit With a Divorce Attorney Involve?
While some may charge, many initial consultations with a lawyer are free, according to the Department of Labor, conducted in person, by phone, or via a video call. These consultations are preliminary meetings that give individuals an opportunity to discuss their situation and obtain basic legal advice. During these meetings, which typically range from half an hour to an hour in length, the aim is for the attorney to evaluate the client’s situation, understand their legal requirements, and determine possible solutions.
Throughout the consultation, the client typically shares important details relevant to their marriage, including their specific divorce concerns and financial situation. The other goals of these consultations involve the client establishing a rapport with the attorney and the lawyer helping the client to set realistic milestones and expectations concerning the divorce process.
What To Bring to an Initial Consultation With a Divorce Lawyer
Bringing certain documentation and information to an initial consultation with a divorce lawyer can help the meeting progress more smoothly. Below is an overview of what to bring when meeting with an attorney for the first time:
- Marriage documents: This helps the attorney identify where and when the marriage took place, whether the marriage is legal, and whether it is possible for a court to grant a divorce.
- Information about marital/personal property: These details enable the lawyer to determine how a court is likely to split the marital assets between the spouses, requiring the client to identify the assets they owned prior to getting married. If the client has a premarital agreement in place, the recommended approach is to bring this to the meeting for the attorney to review.
- Employment records, payslips, and tax returns: Such documents allow an attorney to identify the client’s income, which can help them determine alimony obligations and entitlement.
- Documents concerning investments and other income sources: Some individuals may have additional earnings outside of their main job, such as from freelance work or a side business, as well as investments (for example, stocks, bonds, and savings accounts). As with employment-related documentation, an attorney needs this information to accurately calculate likely alimony payments.
- Leases, mortgage documents, and other debt information: In addition to splitting marital assets, divorce involves dividing marital debt. Bringing this information to an initial consultation allows a divorce lawyer to advise how the court may split any outstanding liabilities between the spouses.
- Evidence of wrongdoing: Misconduct by a spouse could have implications on the divorce proceedings, such as concealing assets (relevant to property distribution) or anything that concerns parenting (for instance, child or substance abuse). If the client has evidence of this behavior, they might want to consider bringing it to the meeting.
- Filed divorce documents: Sometimes, a spouse may initiate divorce proceedings prior to speaking to an attorney, or they may have used a different lawyer to start the process and are now looking for a new one. In this scenario, the client might consider bringing copies of any already filed divorce documents to the consultation.
- Other relevant legal documents: One notable example is a copy of a restraining order pertaining to the other spouse (if there is one).
Learn more about how to prepare for a first meeting with a divorce attorney, and find out how Johnson O’Keefe might assist those thinking about getting a divorce. Contact our firm today to book an initial consultation with an experienced Chicago family law attorney.
What Questions Should I Ask an Attorney About Divorce?
To ensure a productive meeting, the recommended approach is to prepare some questions to ask the attorney in advance. Some examples include asking the attorney to explain the divorce process, establishing how communication between the lawyer and the client will work, inquiring about how to file for divorce, and ascertaining how much the divorce is likely to cost. Other useful questions include asking about the attorney’s experience in divorce law and the area they specialize in, finding out whether anyone else from the office is going to assist with the case, inquiring about the length of divorce proceedings and specific areas concerning divorce (such as child support), and asking what the client needs to discuss with their spouse.
Tips for Preparing for an Initial Consultation With a Divorce Lawyer
Alongside preparing a list of questions to ask and collating important documentation, individuals can take other steps to ensure the initial meeting with the divorce lawyer goes well. Here are some additional preparation tips.
Prepare Answers to Expected Questions
During a preliminary meeting, an individual can expect a divorce lawyer to ask multiple questions to understand their circumstances. With this in mind, prepare answers to questions related to the length of the marriage, significant marriage events, children, financial status, debts, assets, and the reasons for wanting a divorce. Worth noting is that in Illinois, per 750 ILCS 5/401, the only valid grounds for divorce are irreconcilable differences, which means the marriage has irretrievably broken down (demonstrated by showing that all attempts to reconcile have failed, that reconciling is not in the family’s interests, or that the spouses have lived separately for six months or longer).
Understand the Divorce Process and Its Emotional Impact
Divorce often causes a person to experience various emotions ranging from anger, confusion, and sadness to relief and fear. In addition to recognizing and accepting these emotions, it can be useful to learn about the divorce process to help take control of the situation and reduce anxiety.
Develop Anxiety and Stress Management Strategies
Consider engaging in anxiety/stress management activities, such as exercising or pursuing hobbies, before the meeting to alleviate these pressures. In addition, mindfulness, getting sufficient sleep, and healthy eating can help mitigate stress and boost an individual’s mood.
Seek Support
Divorce can be an emotionally challenging process. To gain emotional support and relief, which can help prevent anxiety and stress during the consultation, think about sharing any concerns and feelings with family members and friends beforehand
Think About Priorities and Goals
An individual’s divorce goals can vary widely, with some believing their well-being to be most important and others prioritizing financial stability or custodial arrangements. By identifying what their priorities are, including the areas where compromising is and is not possible, individuals can clearly communicate these views to an attorney, which can help a lawyer devise a plan for achieving the person’s goals.
Prepare for Challenging Conversations
Effective initial consultations entail discussing sensitive and sometimes painful topics associated with the client’s children, finances, and marriage. One way of preparing for these challenging conversations is to convey these thoughts in writing and practice discussing them with a close friend or family member.
Bring Written Notes
Similar to job interviews or presentations, sometimes it can be beneficial to write and bring notes to the meeting with the attorney to guide the discussion and make the consultation more productive. This entails noting down the key marital issues, details of the marriage history, and what the client wants to achieve during the divorce process.
Set Expectations
Worth keeping in mind is that the meeting is an initial starting point for information gathering, reviewing circumstances, and planning the next steps, as opposed to receiving tailored advice. To avoid disappointment, attendees may want to adjust their expectations and make sure they listen to what the attorney has to say, even if they were hoping for a different outcome, and remember that an attorney offers guidance based on their experience and knowledge.
Book Your First Visit With a Chicago Divorce Attorney Today
Divorce lawyers often offer new clients a free initial consultation, which is a typically short meeting and may not involve receiving specific advice since this is only possible after spending time discussing the case and reviewing pertinent documents in detail. Instead, an attorney is likely to provide general guidance, and the consultation enables prospective clients to ascertain whether that attorney can help them with their particular situation. To book your first visit with a Chicago divorce attorney, and get assistance with your divorce-related legal concerns, call Johnson O’Keefe today at (312) 319-4444.