How to Prepare for Your First Meeting with a Divorce Lawyer

Here is a list of things that you should bring with you during your first consultation with the divorce lawyer. 

What You Want to Achieve (If You Have One)

Depending on your circumstances, your objectives may be important safety considerations. For example, if you’re going to have to co-parent with an ex who’s drinking led to the breakdown of your marriage, you may want to include a provision in your divorce judgement that restricts your ex’s driving privileges while he has custody. However, the majority of clients’ objectives are generally more concerned with long-term financial and emotional stability. If you’ve spent the better part of a decade of your professional life assisting your partner in building a successful business, the prospect of walking away with a share of the equity should be on the table

Consider what is most important to you in terms of financial, logistical, and emotional resources. jot down your thoughts on a piece of paper and bring your list with you when you visit your prospective attorney’s office. Having a basic idea of what you want your life to look like during and after the divorce can assist your attorney plot the best way to get you out of your matrimonial morass, and it will help you assess if the attorney you consult with is a good fit for your objectives. In my view, Tarrant County divorce lawyers are the best to hire for yoru case. 

The terms of your prenuptial agreement, as well as any other agreements you have with your spouse (If You Have One)

Prenuptial agreements are a great idea, but they should only be used if both parties agree. It has happened more than once that a potential client has gone into Christy’s office for a consultation; and has forgotten to bring their prenuptial agreement with them. We are perplexed by this! To use a cheesy cliche, please assist us in assisting you!

Your possible attorney will be able to provide you with the finest advice about how your settlement agreement may turn out if he or she takes a thorough and detailed look through your prenuptial agreement. If you want to get the most out of a consultation, make sure you bring all of the documents involved with your prenuptial agreement with you to the appointment. The same is true if you and your spouse have begun drafting a separation agreement; (or other arrangement connected to your impending divorce) in order to finalise your Divorce lawyers Tarrant County. Because your agreement may have an impact on your case, it is critical that your potential attorney has the opportunity to review it.

A Synopsis of the Financial Situation

Before you attend to your divorce consultation, take a few minutes to compile a concise financial overview of your situation. It is not necessary to be meticulous; a quick chicken scratch on the back of a cocktail napkin would suffice. If you have many financial accounts (including, but not limited to, checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, investment accounts and retirement accounts), you should compile a list of all of them (both jointly with your spouse and individually).

This list should include the account’s title (i.e., who is the primary account holder); as well as the current amount of the account. On a second list, you should include all of your credit card and loan balances; Included in this list should be information on the debtor(s), the current sum owed, and the amount of money to be paid each month. After that, you should create a third list that includes any extra assets you and/or your spouse may have; as well as their current valuation. Consider your home, your automobiles, your boat (if you are that fortunate! ); and any other high-dollar-value possessions you may have in your possession.

If you don’t have access to your accounts because your husband is withholding money; it’s crucial to bring this up with the attorney you meet with during your consultation. If this is the case, you must bring it to the notice of your attorney immediately! Abuse of financial control and manipulation is a major red flag for exploitation.

Paystubs (or Self-Employment Documents) and tax returns are important documents to have.

When seeking spousal support (also known as alimony) or child support; it is necessary to bring your most recent paystubs as well as at least two years’ worth of tax returns with you to the hearing. Because most states have plug-and-play algorithms for determining support; attorneys will be unable to provide you with anything that is even close to a realistic rough estimate of support without this information.

We won’t be able to run child support guidelines or provide you accurate information; about the chance that you’ll get spousal support until you provide us with paystubs or tax paperwork. Knowing your chances of receiving assistance can aid you in navigating; The Worst Year Of Your Life and establishing your New Normal.

An open mind

You may have a clear picture in your mind of how you want your divorce to turn out. Your husband has moved out, the children visit him every other weekend, you have remained in the house, and so on.  Why shouldn’t it be the same for yours?

Because every divorce is as unique as the people who are divorcing, this is the reason behind it. Before you pull into the parking lot of the attorney’s office, recite this mantra to yourself: “No two divorces are alike!” There is no such thing as a typical divorce! It will help your prospective attorney develop a strategy that meets your long-term goals and makes sense for your specific circumstances if you keep an open mind about the difficult things—possible custody schedules, whether or not you need to sell the house, whether or not your family can continue to take two weeks of vacation each summer.

We understand that this is extremely difficult and can be a bitter pill to chew. Although it is important to keep an open mind at the beginning of your divorce process (for example, during the initial consultation); doing so will help prevent you from becoming so firmly entrenched in a particular position that you are unable to move forward and think creatively when it comes time to discuss settlement.

Make a list of all of your questions.

There is a good chance that you’ve compiled an extensive list of existential, emotional, and financial questions while contemplating whether or not to end a failing marriage. It is just as difficult to remember to ask all of your questions in a consultation as it is to remember to ask your doctor all of your questions in an appointment. It’s quite difficult!!

The information being pushed at you regarding very essential things; like your housing, income, and children is vast and constantly changing. Bring a written list to ensure that you don’t forget anything important that you want to ask.

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