Divorce Lawyer Consultation: What to Expect

When scheduling your initial divorce consultation, you may be asked to bring certain documents with you to provide some background on your marriage. For example, it may be helpful to provide the following documents if they apply to your situation:

• Court papers served by your spouse
• A prenuptial agreement
• A postnuptial agreement
• A separation agreement

Be sure to spend time obtaining these documents if your attorney requests them. That will help your lawyer provide an informed analysis of your situation. After the initial consultation, you may need to collect additional documents, like health records, tax returns, and employment records.

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When you initially meet with a divorce attorney from King Law, we ask you to provide a brief overview of your situation, including background on you, your spouse, and your family.

Your divorce attorney will listen and examine your marriage’s history along with your marital assets and debts. After that, we explain how North Carolina laws impact your divorce regarding the following matters:

• Spousal support
• Child custody
• Child support
• Property division

A constructive divorce consultation offers a chance to discuss your divorce concerns and learn what life post-divorce may look like for you and your family.

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Talking to an experienced divorce lawyer can help you figure out your strategy and approach to a potential divorce. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to accomplish some things first before filing for divorce. For instance, if you are currently unemployed, you may want to secure a full-time job to provide financial security before pursuing a divorce.

One of the most critical considerations is understanding what your life may look like following a divorce. Depending on your situation, you may want to move forward with a divorce right away; or you may want to delay until circumstances change that may lead to a more desirable outcome. For example, suppose having sole custody of your minor children is the most critical factor, but the likelihood of that occurring is low if you divorce right away. In that case, you may consider waiting to pursue divorce until your children are older and custody is no longer a concern.

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Each divorce case is unique, with various factors affecting the cost of a case, including:

• The length of your marriage
• How many children you have
• Joint assets and debts to be divided

An experienced divorce lawyer can advise on the different factors and reasonable expectations of attorney’s fees and costs once we have reviewed your situation together with you at your divorce consultation.

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Attending a divorce consultation does not mean you are filing for divorce right away. Depending on your circumstances, you may decide to reevaluate your marriage and work on the challenges you and your spouse face. No matter what you decide, it is essential that you feel comfortable and confident in your lawyer to represent your best interests in a divorce. The relationship between an attorney and a client necessitates complete trust and cooperation. The most effective way for deciding whether the client/attorney relationship is likely to be a success is through the initial divorce consultation.

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