No matter the circumstances, getting a divorce is a stressful situation. Once you decide it is time to meet with a divorce attorney, you know that a change is necessary. Wives overwhelmingly initiate divorce proceedings, with an average of 66% of divorces beginning with the wife. In fact, that number has gotten as high as 75% in recent years, according to Legaljobs. If you’re meeting with a divorce attorney for the first time, it is important that you do things correctly. Here are three things you need to know before your meeting.
You’ll Need to Pay Your Attorney for Their Time
Your divorce attorney has a valuable skill set that they charge others to use. This means that you will need to pay for the time that they spend working on your case. While some attorneys will work pro bono, you can’t assume that yours will. Make sure that you know how they charge before you sign any contracts. Then you can make sure you use your time with them as efficiently as possible. If you waste time through mistakes or procrastination, you’ll end up paying more than you should have to.
Bring All Your Documents
Before your meeting, gather up every document your attorney might need. If you have any questions, you can ask them. But you’ll need things like bank statements, marriage certificates, and information about your children. If you don’t bring all the information they need, they won’t be able to help you as much as they want to. So plan ahead and find all the documents well before the day of your meeting.
Be Completely Honest
Your divorce attorney is not here to judge you. It is important that you are honest with them about your situation. That way, nothing will come up during the divorce proceedings that could negatively impact you. This includes things like infidelity, abuse on either side, and financial secrets. The more your attorney knows, the better your case will go.
Meeting with a divorce attorney is a major decision and it is something you need to take seriously. Make sure that you know what to expect during your meeting and what is expected of you. It will make things go much more smoothly from the start of the divorce proceedings. To learn more about what to expect at a meeting with a divorce attorney, reach out to Bergermann Law Firm.
