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Questions To Ask Prospective Family Lawyers

Working with an attorney can be really taxing, specially since you will both be involved in processes that you will not wish to deal with. But there are circumstances where being entangled in legal procedures is inevitable. So make sure that you know all the facts before you pick your lawyer. Here are questions that family lawyers mandurah should answer for you. Make it less of a stressful experience by asking the following:

1. How will you be able to respond to me every time I am in need of your services?
Lawyers have the reputation of being irresponsive and difficult to reach. There are instances when it will take weeks before their clients receive a response from their lawyers for their emails and calls. When they have a too much on their plate and lack the adequate administrative assistance, then this problem happens. Aside from dealing with their clients, appearing in court, going to meetings, there is also paperwork, scheduling and other tasks to deal with. Check if the lawyer is a solo practitioner. If he or she works alone, then you will most probably have a difficult time with him or her.

Ask how he or she will respond to you when you need his or her assistance. Inquire about how fast the office calls are returned and if there will be someone available to assist you for quick questions or if you should be forwarded directly to your lawyer when you call his or her office.

For you to be sure, you can test it out by calling the office and asking for him or her. If it proves to be difficult to be in touch with him or her, like being linked to the voicemail, then take caution. This means that the lawyer has not thought about setting up a system that effectively works to communicate with his or her clients.

2. What about your billing process?
This is important so never skip asking the lawyer about his or her billing practices or else you might be in for a shock when the bill comes in the mail. Choose a lawyer who uses a flat rate or charges you on a project basis. Unless required by the court, do not accept an hourly rate. Make sure that the laywer does not send unexpected bills for your emails and calls.

3. Will you be able to assist me with any legal problem or just about your fields of specialty?
Many lawyers specialize in a specific body of law. Family lawyers mandurah focus on cases that are within the context of family. But you might be involved in other scenarios such as immigration, business law, or civil litigation in the future and it will be good to know that the lawyer you hire will be able to help you with them. You will need a specialty lawyer, for the best outcomes, but it is beneficial if your personal lawyer will also be able to give you legal advice for your other needs.

2. What about your billing process?
This is important so never skip asking the lawyer about his or her billing practices or else you might be in for a shock when the bill comes in the mail. Choose a lawyer who uses a flat rate or charges you on a project basis. Unless required by the court, do not accept an hourly rate. Make sure that the laywer does not send unexpected bills for your emails and calls.

4. What happens if you retire?
Knowing what will happen next in case your lawyer dies or retires is important. Make sure that your lawyer has set a definite plan for someone to take over your needs so that there is no interruption in his service to you. If you are in the middle of a lawsuit and this happens, then you have to make sure that your lawyer is prepared so that you don’t have to start from scratch.

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