Your Matrimonial and Divorce Attorneys in Manhattan
How to choose a lawyer
Qualities to Seek:
- An attorney you feel comfortable working with and in whom you have confidence.
- An attorney who will explain the process and applicable law to you in terms you understand.
- An attorney within your financial means.
- An attorney who has a facility with numbers and is financially sophisticated.
- An attorney who is responsive to your needs.
- An attorney who has available to him/her sufficient support resources (e.g. paralegals, secretaries, associate attorneys).
- An attorney who is accessible to you (and promptly returns all phone calls).
- An attorney who specializes in matrimonial/divorce or family law and who has in-depth experience in these fields.
Questions to Ask:
- How long have you been practicing matrimonial/divorce/family law?
- What, if any, is the extent of your “in court” experience?
- Does your firm handle other matters besides matrimonial/divorce/family law? If so, what percentage of your law practice is represented by matrimonial/divorce/family law cases?
- Are you familiar with the New York courts and the New York judges?
- What are the options available to resolve my case? In my particular situation, which would you recommend?
- What is the extent of your support staff?
- Who will handle my case? Will it be the partner or an associate or both?
- What are your hourly rates?
- What are the hourly rates of any associates and/or paralegals who will work on my case?
- Will you provide me with an itemized monthly bill?
- How do you calculate your billable hours?
- If I have a question about my case, can I call you? How quickly can I expect to have my calls returned?
- If we are unable to negotiate a settlement and my divorce goes to trial, will your firm represent me in court or recommend me to another firm?
- What can I do to minimize my legal expenses?
- What do you expect from me?
- What documents do I need to produce?
