So, your marriage has failed, and both you and your spouse have agreed that everything would be best if you both moved into single living arrangments. However, theres one matter remaining that has yet to be resolved: who takes custody of the children? In order to address this matter, you must requisition the help of a child custody attorney. But if this is your first time, there may be some unanswered questions you’ll want answered before you sign any papers. If you are looking for a child custody attorney in Hollywood FL, here are some good, basic questions to get yourself started.
#1. How long have you practiced law?
This is a very important question to ask, first and foremost. Experience is key when looking for a good lawyer, especially if you want the process to go over smoothly. On average, you want someone with a minimum of 5-6 years working in law, as they have likely taken a high enough number of cases to know what they’re doing by then, and will be less likely to fall into beginner’s traps that so often befall amateur lawyers, and the people they represent.
#2. Do you have experience in cases similar to mine?
Not every case, especially child custody cases, are the same. Even simple things like the number of kids or their individual ages can throw everything for a loop. As such, you want to make sure that your lawyer has tackled cases even vaguely similar to yours. That way, they have a good jumping off point to work from, and the process will go over much smoother because of it.
#3. What experience in mediation do you have?
Mediation is an important skill to have when dealing in child custody cases. You need to make sure everyone stays civil, speaks calmly, and doesn’t stray too far off topic. This is one of the reasons behind the preference of lawyers with more years of experience under their belt. A more experienced lawyer knows to maintain a good amount of distance from the drama, while maintaining the right amount of closeness in order to stay in the conversation. It’s a trait that’s learned mostly on the job, so make sure that your lawyer has plenty of experience, especially if you know things have a good chance of going south.
These three basic questions will help you find the right child custody lawyer for your particular case, so jot all of three down on a paper when you go to meet them.
