Taking the time to find the right Atlanta divorce attorney will work in your favor. With so many legal firms around the greater Georgia area, it’s easy to get lost in the search. If you’ve read part 1 of this post, hopefully you’ve found the questions to be helpful for helping you decide. Here’s part 2 of 10 questions to ask your Atlanta or Alpharetta divorce lawyer.
Question 6: How much of my case will be handled by a paralegal/associate?
It is common that an attorney will work side by side with a paralegal. In fact, often times the paralegal is the person responsible for daily work and maintenance on your case. The benefit of having a paralegal do most of the groundwork results in a lower expense for you. However, you don’t want all your work to be handled by an associate. To get a good gauge of how much you will actually be working with the attorney him/herself, ask them how much of your case will be handled by a paralegal or associate.
Question 7: Can you give me a general outline of how you plan to handle the case?
This might seem like a very specific question to determine if a specific divorce lawyer is right for you, but it is broad enough of a question to give you an idea of how the attorney plans and responds. You can get a sense of how he/she thinks and executes strategies. Are they giving you a very general or vague response? Or do they seem very proactive, having thought of details and catering their response based on your situation?
Question 8: Are you willing to go above and beyond?
Going through a divorce is one of the hardest times in a person’s life. With that in mind, you want to have a lawyer who is there to give you legal support and advice as well as emotional support. Not saying that you should find a lawyer who is able to be your therapist as well, but you should find one who is willing to help you go through the emotional aspect of the divorce. Get a good sense of how patient they are when you ask them questions and how willing they are to just go a step beyond their expected duty.
Question 9: Will there be any hidden fees or unexpected charges?
The fee for hiring a divorce attorney in Georgia or any state should not be a fixed rate. If it is, you should be skeptical of how well he/she will perform on your case. Most attorneys will charge by the hour. Certain rates may be higher depending on how time is allocated. Ask your lawyer if there’s going to be any form of unexpected charges. They may not be able to answer the question readily because the amount charged really fluctuates depending on what you ask of the attorney. For example, if your case requires extra help from accountants, social workers, or appraisers, that will be considered an unexpected charge. Nonetheless this is still a good question to ask to get a sense of the basic expected costs.
Question 10: Ask yourself how you feel about the attorney.
Ultimately, the decision you make is based on your perception of the lawyer. Trust your own judgment and opinion of the attorney. If for any reason you don’t feel like he/she is right for you, follow that notion! Even if you can’t exactly put a finger on why you react that way. The reason may be uncovered later on, but it will be too late by then! But once you have picked out an attorney, it’s also up to you to work on maintaining strong relationship so you can work hand in hand with your divorce lawyer.
Question 1: How do you charge and what is the estimate overall cost?
In terms of psychological stress, a divorce ranks among one of the most stressful and traumatic experiences a person can face in life. While 
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