Questions to Ask Before Hiring a St. Petersburg Divorce Attorney

Whether you live in Wildwood Heights, Wilders, Bayside, or another part of the Pinellas County area, hiring a St. Petersburg divorce attorney is one of the first steps you should take if you have decided that divorce is the best solution for your troubled marriage. St. Petersburg divorce attorneys will help make sure you file all the necessary paperwork with the proper civil court on time to ensure your divorce proceeding moves along as swiftly as possible.

You do not want to hire just any St. Petersburg divorce attorney. You need to go through a selection process that includes asking key questions to help you make an informed decision.

Search for a St. Petersburg Divorce Attorney

The lawyer selection process will help determine whether your divorce case goes as smoothly as possible. One key element of the selection process to keep in mind is that you are searching for a Pinellas County divorce attorney you can trust. After all, you will be working with this person very closely throughout the duration of the case.

According to Lawyers.com, you should consider using personal references in your search for an attorney. Talk to friends, family, and neighbors who have been through the divorce process and ask about who represented them. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all St. Petersburg divorce attorneys are the same nor are divorce cases. You want to find the St. Petersburg divorce attorney who is best equipped to deal with the particulars of your case.

Gathering Information for Your First Meeting

It is important to use your time and the attorney's time wisely. When seeking out a prospective divorce attorney to represent you, have all your relevant documents organized to present to him or her before your initial meeting.

Any information relevant to your marriage is worth showing to your prospective attorney to help give him or her a sense of your case. This includes documents related to the reason for the divorce, as well as whether you and your spouse share any property, such as a house or car, or share custody of minor children. In addition, you will want to bring information that pertains to your financial and employment situation in the event this factors into your divorce. Finally, do not forget to provide all contact information, including all phone numbers where you can be reached and your e-mail address.

Questioning Your Attorney

Consider your preliminary meeting with a divorce attorney the opportunity for you to ask all the questions you have about the divorce process and your attorney's services. You should feel comfortable asking any question you may have.

Consider asking some of the following questions. For an even larger list, consult Lawyers.com.

• Do you focus on divorces? Have you handled any cases like mine recently?
• What information do you need from me to make sure the divorce process goes as smoothly as possible?
• How much do you charge per hour?
• How can we go about minimizing my divorce costs?
• How do you think a judge would rule in my case based on all the information I have provided? What would you say to my spouse if he or she asked you the same question?