If you have never recruited the help of a custody lawyer in any civil case before, it can sound overwhelming and downright intimidating to do so when the time calls for it. Who you choose as your custody lawyer is not a decision to be made lightly. The trajectory of your family’s life could be about to change dramatically based on a custodial decision made by the courts. You want a knowledgeable and experienced custody attorney on your side.
This is a person that will become intimately aware of your family situation, so you want to find a custody attorney that can be sympathetic to your family’s circumstances while offering top-quality legal representation on behalf of a child. That means conducting some interviews to find the best custody attorney for your family.
Are you stumped on what questions to ask as you interview prospective lawyers to handle your case? Read on to find the most informative and important questions that you could ask of any custody lawyer.
What Should I Ask My Child Custody Lawyer?
The majority of your questions should focus on gaining an understanding of the custody attorney’s experience practicing family and custody law. Start with these basic questions, but don’t be afraid of asking any other questions that might come to mind.
- “How long have you been practicing family law?”
- “How many child custody cases have you brought to trial?”
- “Where did you attend law school?”
- “Are you a member of any bar associations or professional legal organizations? If so, which ones?”
- “How many child custody cases do you handle each year?”
- “Are you more experienced with mediation or litigation?”
You want to know that the custody lawyer you’re considering is experienced at their profession and are well-versed on the ins and outs of family law and custody matters pertaining to minor children.
You also want to know their personal philosophy and approach to dealing with family matters. Consider these additional questions as a part of the interviewing process.
- “Do you have a particular approach to custody law that works for your cases?”
- “What kind of exchanges do you have with your clients? Do you prefer to encourage others to rely on your decisions, or are you more inclined to reaching a joint agreement with them?”
- “Will you be responsible for my case, or will it fall into the hands of another attorney?”
- “Will other attorneys be working with you on my case?”
As a part of this process, you will also have to share a great deal of information about yourself, your family, and the conditions surrounding the custody dispute. Expect to go into detail as they try to increase their familiarity with your situation. Once they have learned what they need to know initially, there are some other questions to ask.
- “Will this have to go to trial?”
- “What do you think of this case?”
- “What seems like it might be the most likely outcome of this case?”
- “Do you foresee any problems that could interfere with my desired outcome of this case?”
This is a lot of questioning, but it’s worth it to hire the right New Mexico custody lawyer for your specific case.