Before the initial meeting with a lawyer, a client preparing the right questions for a family law consultation is a must. Furthermore, the lawyer will use the consultation to establish if they are legally and competently qualified to represent someone based on the facts presented by the client.
When clients need legal help, they want to be sure that they choose the right lawyer for the job. Most lawyers provide a family law consultation. This way, you can assess whether or not they are the best fit for your case.
During this consultation, the lawyer may or may not provide legal advice immediately. This is because it is only intended to determine whether the client wants to hire this lawyer. In this article, we’ll discuss what family law is. We’ll also provide a basic guide on what qualities to find in a lawyer during a family law consultation below.
What Is Family Law?
The family law system in Australia assists persons in resolving legal aspects of family concerns. Examples are family relationship breakdowns or divorce. It encourages people to reach agreements without resorting to litigation. There is a wealth of information and resources available to help people who are having problems with their family relationships.
Australia is a country made up of states and the Commonwealth of Australia’s Constitution Act outlines the authorities granted to the Commonwealth Government. The states are in charge of everything else. States can also assign powers to the Commonwealth if they agree.
There are also state laws that apply specifically to child welfare but not to parenting issues.
As a common law system, Australian family law is also controlled by authoritative case law, The law provides direction on how to interpret specific family law acts.
Finally, the Australian Family Court inherited the parens patriae jurisdiction that was previously only available to the English Court of Chancery. This means the court’s inherent authority to make orders in the best interests of the child.
Finding The Right Lawyer For A Consultation
You must first locate a lawyer who may be a suitable fit before scheduling a family law consultation. Look for a lawyer that focuses on family law that they routinely practice. One of the first things you’ll want to ask your lawyer during your meeting is about their background.
You might want to inquire about the lawyer’s experience practising family law. Ask them how long has she/ he been working in your county or area. This will give you a sense of how familiar the lawyer is with local judges and procedures.
Before opting for a family law consultation, make sure you have all the required paperwork. It’s critical to bring all of your documents to the lawyer’s attention. This way they can appropriately assess which ones are significant and which aren’t. The following are examples of documents a person should bring in a family law consultation:
- Any identification card of the partners
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificates of children (if applicable)
What Will Be Discussed At A Family Law Consultation?
As previously said, there are numerous and varied reasons why someone might seek the advice of an experienced lawyer. As a result, a legal consultation will be highly dependent on the legal situation that a client is facing. However, some topics that are typically discussed during a family law consultation include:
Costs
Importantly, a discussion of a lawyer’s costs may assist you in your legal issue. These costs will almost always be included in a family law consultation. While there are contingency fees, flat fees, and hourly rates for other lawyers, some lawyers provide fixed fees. Fixed fee consultations can assist clients to get the best legal counsel without any further financial struggle on their end.
Legal Claims
A family law consultation will always involve a discussion of the legal facts and claims, even if it seems obvious. It’s critical to be truthful with a lawyer regarding a specific case. Lying about the facts or circumstances surrounding a case might result in criminal or civil fines.
A typical family law consultation will include a discussion of the reasons for the divorce. The discussion includes marital and separate property, and, if appropriate, a discussion of child custody.
Confidentiality
Another reason to be absolutely open and honest during a family law session is that legal consultations are always private. This means that anything you say to a lawyer will remain private outside of the meeting room.
An initial consultation does not create a lawyer-client relationship. It can only happen with a signed representation agreement. Everything you say to a lawyer during a consultation shall be treated with confidentiality.
This forms a lawyer-client relationship.
As a result, you should offer the lawyer any relevant information. This is to assess if the case is beneficial or negative for you.
Working With Your Lawyer On Your Family LAwyer
Finding out how the law firm will manage your case is another key aspect of choosing a family lawyer. The person you meet in a large law firm may not be the one who actually works on your case.
Most lawyers have paralegals or legal assistants that help them in paperwork and scheduling. You should also inquire about the lawyer’s communication schedule like:
- Asking how quickly will you receive a response if you contact or email with legal questions
- Knowing if they’re willing to entertain other queries after office hours
- Asking for any other information and material for the case to go smoothly
- How soon will you receive an update regarding your case
While you’re at it, take a stroll around their firm and get a feel of the staff’s ambience. Are they people-friendly? Are they patient with your questions? Do you feel like they’re treating your case with utmost importance?
JB Solicitors’ Family Law Consultation
Meeting with a lawyer for a family law consultation is typically not an occasion to ask detailed legal questions. This is rather to get a sense of whether this lawyer is the correct one for your legal matters.
Using JB Solicitors family law consultation services can help determine which lawyer is best tailored to your specific case. We also have mediation services for spouses who want to settle disputes rather than opting for court proceedings.
Book a family law consultation today with JB Solicitors.
