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Choosing an experienced child custody lawyer can be challenging, specifically because of the many highly emotional matters that come up throughout child custody proceedings. Parents seeking to hire a child custody lawyer should use the below resources to find experienced, qualified lawyers.
Find References
The ideal resource for parents that are seeking information on an experienced child custody lawyer is to find references from other people. Vital references to acquire on child custody lawyers include:
- Asking friends and members of the family
- Seek out advice from court clerks at their office
- Inquiring of other parents, including strangers, that presently have cases at the child-support office
- The state bar association is able to pass you referrals
- Subject to your state, many courts may keep a network of lawyers
Conduct Interviews
It’s critical for single parents to interview a possible child custody lawyer prior to hiring them. Some questions to ask are surrounding:
- Character and Style – A single parent wishes to ensure that a lawyers character and style matches their own. It doesn’t need to be completely the same, but a single parent should find the lawyer to be welcoming, because there are going to be a lot of questions on the way.
- Experience in Your Kind of Case – A single parent needs to choose a lawyer that has experience dealing with and winning their kind of case. A single parent needs to also understand how many hours it might take to come to a decision in their case.
- Fee Structure – A single parent needs to inquire into whether the lawyer charges on retainer based or on an hourly basis.
- Free Consultation – A single parent wishes to know if a child custody lawyer is willing to offer a free consultation. A free consultation is going to give them an idea of whether they are going to be able to work with the lawyer.
Pro Bono
When a single parent is unable afford to pay for a lawyer, they may qualify for a court-appointed lawyer. A court-appointed lawyer is going to serve to represent the single parent, similarly to a paid one.
The county family court will keep a network of pro bono lawyers to help with child custody cases.
Resources to Examine the Lawyers Reputation
There are a multitude resources that a parent can use to verify a lawyer’s reputation, including:
- Looking into the attorney directory in your state. The attorney directory is going to allow a parent to know when a lawyer is in good standing with the state bar or if their lawyer’s license has been suspended and if so, the reason for the suspension. Many states have a requirement that attorneys reveal that information to a potential client. Also, a lawyer is unable to practice law in states where they have a suspended license.
- Asking around. When a single parent lives in a smaller community, there’s a good possibility that a lawyer’s reputation is going to be well known in that specific community. Parents can ask about a lawyer with someone else or several people in the community.
What A Child Custody Lawyer Is Able Do For Parents
A lawyer with knowledge in child custody cases may assist you in getting the custody arrangement that’s in your child best interest. When you are going through a divorce and you there are children involved, you and your spouse need to work out a parenting plan that places custody and visitation frequency. If you and your spouse cannot reach an agreement, then your child support lawyer can request the court for you, for custody.
Why Hire A Child Custody Lawyer
When you are getting a divorce and there are children involved, part of your divorce agreement is going to involve establishing where and who the children are going to live with. A child custody lawyer can assist you in negotiating custody, by an agreement or in court. The custodial parent is granted the legal right to make decisions in regard to the child’s lifestyle, well-being, and schooling. Many parents decide on joint custody, meaning the children split their time between each of the parents’ houses, and parents share the right in making decisions on the children’s behalf. When you, being parents, can’t come to an agreement on child custody, a judge is going to make that decision for you.
Fire A Child Custody Lawyer That Isn’t Meeting Your Requirements
Don’t be concerned about making errors. When the agreement between you and your lawyer is no longer useful or does not meet your requirements, release the attorney from their duties and start a new quest to find a new child custody lawyer.
For more information about locating experienced lawyer, parents need to refer to extra resources on child custody lawyers or they can get a hold of a member of their State Bar Association.
Source:
Washington, D. (2020, September 17). How Parents Can Find a Good Attorney for Child Custody Hearings. Verywell Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-find-a-good-child-custody-attorney-2998192.
