Alaska Divorce Lawyer & Attorney : Peg Roston Law Firm : Property Division, Net Worth, Division of Assets : Anchorage, Alaska

In the last post, I made some suggestions about questions to ask an attorney at your initial consultation help you to decide whether to hire that attorney or whether you should look further. Once you have decided who you want to represent you, there are steps you can take to make the most out of the first meeting with the attorney you have selected. Some attorneys will send you a list of information to bring to the meeting. If not, then here are some tips.

• Take advantage of the information on the Family-Law Self-Help Center website. In particular, read the information about the divorce process so you have a “roadmap” of what to expect. You may want to print out the glossary from the Center’s website because as your case progresses your attorney will be using legal terms, with which you may not be familiar.
  
• Make a written list of your financial assets and debts as you would if you were filling out a loan or financial application.
  
• Make a written list of your month expenses and sources of income.
  
• If you have two years of tax returns readily available, you should bring them with you.
  
• Make a written list of any questions you may have for the attorney, including questions about your legal rights and your legal obligations.

Having this information readily available will save you money because the better prepared you are, the less time the attorney will have to spend trying to get this information from you.

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The more prepared you are before you meet with the attorney you have selected as your top “candidate” the more productive your first meeting with the attorney will be.  Your initial consultation is the time to ask questions you have about the “nuts and bolts” of the attorney’s law practice.

• Will the attorney handle your case personally or will another attorney in the office handle the case?

• Will a paralegal be working on part of the case?

• What percentage of the attorney's practice involves representing divorce clients?  How long has the attorney been practicing law?

• Has the attorney handled cases other than divorce cases, and if so what type of cases?

• If the case cannot be settled, is the attorney comfortable with going to court?

• What is the attorney's hourly rate? 

• Does the attorney require a retainer, which is an initial deposit towards costs and legal fees?

Some attorneys will apply the retainer to the monthly invoice. Other attorneys will keep the retainer on deposit as a form of security for legal fees and will require the client to pay the monthly bill out of pocket. It is important for a client to have a good understanding of the attorney’s policy regarding retainers, including whether the attorney refunds the unused portion of the retainer.

• In addition to legal fees for the attorney's services, what other types of costs should you anticipate?

By the end of your initial consultation, you may have obtained enough information to decide whether you feel comfortable about working with the attorney on your case.  However, if there are any doubts in your mind, you might want to interview a second attorney so that you at least have a point of reference before you make your final decision. 

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If you are experiencing marital problems, having a consult with a divorce attorney sooner rather than later is certainly a good idea. Our state bar association does not certify Alaska attorneys as family law specialists. Therefore, to find an experienced divorce attorney may require you to do some research. 

Here are some ideas for finding an experienced family law attorney.

• Word of mouth. Most of my referrals come by way of “word of mouth.” Many times, I do not even know the person who has referred a client to me. If you have friends who have gone through a divorce you could ask them for the name of their attorney, if you feel comfortable talking to your friends about your situation.


• Your accountant, broker or financial planner. Many accountants, brokers and financial planners have experience with assisting other clients who are going through a divorce and would be able to refer you to a divorce attorney or at least give you a list of names of attorneys with whom they are familiar.


• Your corporate or estate planning attorney. Since Anchorage is a small community, it is highly probable that your business or personal attorney can give you the name of a good divorce attorney.


• On-line resources. The Alaska Bar Association has an on-line list of members of the Family Law Section of the Bar. Even though the Bar does not cerify attorneys as specialists, members of this section are attorneys who practice in the family law area.

Once you have two or three names, then it would be worthwhile to see if you can find out about each of the attorneys from multiple sources.  If this is not possible or if you are operating under time constraints, then the next step is to set up a consultation with one or two of the attorneys on your listl

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