It's crucial to seek legal guidance when you start the divorce process, especially if you are hoping for a favorable outcome. That's why it's worth meeting with a divorce lawyer for a consultation on the services they can provide. Here are some topics that they are likely to bring up during the consultation. 

The Details Of Your Marriage

You'll likely start by giving the divorce lawyer an overview of the important details of your marriage. This doesn't mean sharing information about your wedding day and the honeymoon, but what will be part of the divorce process. This includes how long you have been married, if you have children together, and if there have been attempts to reconcile in the past. 

The Grounds For Divorce

Every jurisdiction has their own rules regarding the grounds of divorce. There are no-fault divorces, which is when there are irreconcilable differences between both partners. Fault-based divorces usually have some sort of reason where a single person is at fault, such as adultery, abandonment, or abuse. The grounds of divorce is something that is very important since it can impact spousal support, child custody, and property division.

The Support Payments

Your lawyer will discuss what you can expect for support payments. This includes who will have to pay them, the amount of time it will be required, and how much it could potentially be. Every jurisdiction has different guidelines regarding support payments, and a divorce lawyer can help use those guidelines to come up with a fair estimate. 

The Division of Assets 

A big part of the divorce process is how to divide communal assets. The divorce lawyer will want an overview of what kind of assets you have together to get an idea of how it will need to be split. This includes cash in savings accounts, investments, property, vehicles, high-value items, businesses, and anything else that could be relevant to a divorce. 

The Fee Structure

Divorce lawyers do not work for free, and they will discuss the fee structure that they have for divorce cases. There will be a basic hourly rate, which is how much the lawyer spends in meetings, taking phone calls, doing research, and appearing in court. Retainer fees are also common, where you provide a large sum of money upfront and the lawyer takes their fees from the retainer. 

It's possible that a lawyer will work on a flat fee basis, which is when the divorce case is really easy to settle and uncontested. If the divorce has a potentially high settlement, they may even work on a contingency fee basis, where they only get paid if you receive a favorable settlement. 

Talk to a family law attorney to learn more.