How To Interview A Santa Clarita Divorce Attorney

Let’s get this straight. I am no expert interviewer.  I just wanted to tell you about some common sense things about interviewing a divorce attorney that may help.

Meet In Person

You probably want to meet face to face with an attorney when getting a consultation.  A phone call simply does not do the trick when it comes to asking questions of someone you may have represent you in court.  Plus, don’t you want to look them in the eye and see the person who will possibly be showing up to court to represent you?

Remember, that it is not just you who is interviewing the attorney.  Many attorneys also want to make sure your case will be a good fit for their firm.  That’s right.  While some attorneys will take any case they can get their hands on, the better attorneys, and  therefore the busier law firms, want to make sure your case will fit within their framework and will be a good fit for them.

To Pay Or Not To Pay For A Divorce Consultation

That is the question.  There are plenty of divorce attorneys in Santa Clarita that will give you a free 1/2 hour consultation.  There are also ways to get a free consultation by using an attorney referral service such as the Los Angeles County Bar Association or San Fernando Valley Bar Association.  But is a free divorce consultation really in your best interest?

Here is my take on it.  You get what you pay for.  That was pretty deep, huh?  Okay, but here is some truth.  If you go to a free consultation with an attorney, do you think you are going to get legal advice or a sales pitch?  Attorneys know that they will have to sell themselves during this 30 minutes conversation with you.  Is that what you want?  Or do you want to get some answers to some of your legal questions?

I am not saying that you won’t get any legal advice during your free consultation, but expect a portion to be about them and how wonderful they are.  If you are paying for that hour, you are paying for legal advice all the way through.  Just food for thought.

Conflicts Of Interest 

Don’t be surprised if you call an attorney and they tell you they can’t work with you.  Conflicts of interest will keep a lawyer from being able to not only meet with you but prevent them from representing you.

If your spouse consulted with the attorney already, you can pretty much count on them telling you that they can not help you.  Don’t get your feelings hurt, they are just following the rules.  Attorneys will not normally advise you of the reason, but can you think of another reason an attorney would not want to meet with you?  They don’t want to be the ones to tell you that your spouse was just here…

Use your gut and instincts about the lawyer you interview.  If is does not feel right, then it probably isn’t.  You can read more about how to find the right Santa Clarita Divorce Attorney here.

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