The relationship you strike with your family lawyer centres on compatibility: you need to ensure that your working style and goals align. At Lift Legal, our relationships with clients are more than just a business transaction. We want to get to know you so that we can tailor our services to your unique needs.
We’ve prepared this helpful guide to help you better prepare for our initial consultation.
Can you help me achieve my goals?
We all do our best work when we believe in what we’re working to accomplish. Before meeting with a family lawyer, consider what’s important to you and to your children.
- What are your most pressing concerns?
- What are you most worried about?
- What are your long-term goals?
- What challenges or obstacles prevent you from resolving issues with your spouse/partner?
- How can you minimize these barriers?
The family issues you’re facing are deeply personal. Needing help with family law can be stressful. At Lift Legal, our first consultation is all about listening to you and discussing your unique concerns and desired outcome. We’ll provide legal information relevant to your case and discuss your options. We want to hear your story, and we’ll strive to make you feel understood and respected.
What’s your experience?
It’s important that your family lawyer have the knowledge and experience in family law to streamline your case. An inexperienced lawyer, or a lawyer whose practice doesn’t focus on family law, may not fully understand the complexities of your issue. When meeting with a family lawyer, ask these questions about his or her experience.
- Do you specialize in family law?
- How long have you practised family law?
- What types of cases do you take on?
- What types of cases most ignite your passion?
- What percentage of your cases have settled out of court?
- What percentage have gone to trial?
- Do you view my case as unique?
- How many cases like mine have you handled?
- What expertise can you bring to my case?
These questions can help you determine not only the number of cases a family lawyer has handled, but also how many have centred on circumstances similar to yours. A lawyer may have handled dozens of cases but only dealt with a handful involving complex spousal issues.
What’s the best approach for me?
When we first meet, we’ll thoroughly explain your options, laying out the pros and cons of each. We’ll let you know whether your case can be resolved by agreement, while also providing an overview of mediation, litigation and collaborative family law.
Who will be my primary point of contact?
It may take time between your contacting a lawyer and receiving a response. For convenience, you may expect a reply within 24 hours. Be sure to clarify your lawyer’s policies.
- How long does it take you to respond to phone calls and emails?
- Will I have direct contact with you after our initial consultation?
- Will you be able to give me real-time advice when issues arise?
- How do you prefer to communicate with your clients? (i.e., phone or email)
- How often do you communicate with your clients? (i.e., daily, weekly, as needed)
- Who handles accounts payable and accounts receivable in your firm?
- Who prepares correspondence, pleadings and trail notebooks?
How much will this cost?
Unexpected legal bills can be incredibly frustrating. They can also erode trust in your relationship with your lawyer. When you first meet with us, we’ll discuss our need for a retainer and expectations around budgets for legal fees. In most matters, we can work based on regular hourly billing, quoted billing caps or fixed legal fees. We’ll work to find a pricing model that works for you.
How do I get started?
When facing a family law-related matter, asking the right questions helps to ensure that find the right lawyer for your unique circumstances. Lift Legal’s team of experienced family lawyers and certified family law mediators can help.
Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
