Many people are nervous or even scared to take the first step to contact or meet with a divorce lawyer. But, an initial consultation is just a meeting between you and a lawyer to give you information. No one has to know about it and you don’t have to do anything with it. An initial consultation is important because most of the hesitation to contact a lawyer is fear of the unknown and of what may happen in divorce. An initial consultation should help alleviate some of your concerns because knowledge is power. The goals of an initial consultation are:
- To give the lawyer an understanding from you about what’s going on and your goals;
- Gain an understanding of the divorce law where you live and what may happen in divorce;
- Learn about the different options for processes often used in family cases to reach resolution;
- Identify any risks you are facing given your current facts and what steps you can take to improve your position to address any risks;
- Find out what you need to think about and any things you need to do in the event you or your spouse are proceeding with divorce, and steps you can take to best achieve your goals;
- Get answers to any questions you have.
Meeting with a lawyer early on can not only put your mind at ease, but can help inform you on what you can do to best protect yourself and achieve your goals in the event of divorce and help you make plans for your future.