J.O.
answers from
Denver
on
What city, state do you live in?
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I have been separated from my husband now for a year and would like to go ahead with a legal separation and get this child custody issue started. Only problem is - I have no clue where to start. I found a list of lawyers in my area that do the free initial consultation but not sure where to go from there. How do I know if they will be a good candidate? What kind of questions do I need to ask up front to see if they will be a good lawyer for my situation? And how much info do I need to bring them? I'm so scared right now even thinking about getting this underway - not because I want to get back with my husband and think it will be a mistake getting this under way but because I just know its going to be a long process and scared of outcomes in case he tries to be "sneaky". Please any advice would be helpful at this point. Thank you in advance :)
What city, state do you live in?
Go talk to the lawyers. They will go over the basics of your case with you and tell you what they think you should do, and how things will work. Get a feel of who they are. Then check to see of they have complaints or anything about them. I think you go through the bar assoc for that. My dh and I are going through this again with his ex. The first lawyer just sat on stuff and did not make him her priority. Don't be afraid to switch lawyers if yours ends up not being good enough. Find someone who will listen to you fully and be aggresive. Ask around, especially someone who has gone through this, out any lawyer friends you know. Good luck.
My retainer was $1000. I think that is pretty common. Mine involved divorce/custody. Ask around. Maybe go to a mommys site for your area only and ask peoples opinions of an attorney in your area and how well that person worked for them. I would get a woman for sure. Sometimes men take the fathers sides. You will go in there and she will ask what's going on and you tell her and she will advise you what to do(after your retainer is paid). She will draw up papers for you and have your ex served with a court date. Mine was and still is very sneaky. It works out much better when they don't have a lawyer to defend them.
I only had to go to one free consultation. They told me right off the bat they would need a $10,000 retainer deposit if custody would be involved. I just about fell out of my chair and told them I couldn't afford that. SO, they gave me the number of a very reasonably priced divorce attorney. Fee is very important! If you think you're ex is sneaky, I would start documenting everything right now.
