Family law cases can significantly affect your life, so it is essential to select legal support that is effective, communicative, and experienced. It is easier to find a good Indianapolis family law attorney when you understand the crucial questions that can help determine an attorney’s criteria and skill. You want to ensure that an attorney handling such a sensitive case has the general legal knowledge and the specific experience needed for your unique case.
The area of family law covers many types of cases, such as divorce, paternity, spousal support, child custody, property division, adoption, and order modification. Finding a reliable and compassionate attorney can give you confidence when approaching these cases.
Important Questions About an Attorney’s Experience and Methods
When consulting or initially meeting with an attorney, you need to understand their specific abilities and qualifications for family law and cases like yours. Researching lawyers, looking at reviews, and talking to past clients can help you understand a potential attorney. Talking directly with a lawyer can also help you understand their abilities and ensure that you feel comfortable with them handling your case.
Every attorney and firm has different practices and different levels of experience. Some important questions to ask include:
- What is your experience in family law, especially in cases like mine? You want to determine the education, trial experience, and out-of-court experience an attorney has. It’s also important that a lawyer has worked on cases similar to yours. An attorney’s specific experience can help your case be resolved more quickly and more to your benefit.
- Do you focus on family law? An attorney who works in several fields of law can bring certain benefits if your case covers multiple areas of law. However, it’s important that they have significant family law experience and primarily focus on that field. Even if an attorney is very legally experienced, a lack of experience with family law will hurt your case.
- What is your current workload? How responsive are you to calls and emails? A busy attorney may have a difficult time devoting the necessary individual legal care to your case. A family law case is important to you, and you want to know how quickly you can reasonably expect a response to address concerns or sudden changes.
- Who else may be working on my case? Determine the experience of the team that may be handling your case.
- How will I be charged? Determine if an attorney charges hourly or through a flat fee, and see if they charge a retainer. Each lawyer and firm will have their own fee structure.
These questions can help you understand an attorney’s abilities and their firm’s policies.
Important Questions About Your Unique Case
In addition to understanding an attorney’s family law experience and how it relates to your situation, you want to ask questions that directly relate to your case. It’s crucial that you know what to expect and what the most likely outcome of your case is. This helps your attorney know your needs for the case, allowing you to feel confident that your wishes are being understood. Some useful questions include:
- What challenges do you expect in my family law case?
- Do I need to prepare for trial?
- What outcome do you expect?
- What do I need to do to prepare for future meetings?
- How long do you anticipate my case will take?
- What expectations do you have for me?
It’s helpful to discuss your family law case with several attorneys. This can help you understand the benefits and drawbacks of different legal care and give you a more well-rounded expectation for your case’s outcome. In some cases, even a very experienced attorney cannot secure the ideal scenario for your case.
FAQs
Q: How Do I Prepare for My First Meeting With a Family Lawyer?
A: To prepare for a first meeting with a family lawyer, gather your information first. Before an initial consultation or meeting with an attorney, you must:
- Gather important legal, financial, and other documentation.
- Have a clear understanding of your goals and questions regarding your family law case.
- Be open with your attorney about your case and situation.
- Understand your rights in a family court and under family law.
- Be sure you understand how your case will be billed.
Always ask questions if you are unclear on anything. These cases are incredibly important for you and your family, and it is essential that you and an attorney agree on the critical aspects of your case.
Q: What Is a Wife Entitled to in a Divorce in Indiana?
A: In Indiana, a wife is entitled to an equal split in most cases. Indiana is an equitable distribution state for property division. The court initially assumes that marital assets should be split equally between spouses, and it then revises that assumption based on certain aspects of the marriage.
Often, a difference in separate assets or income is handled through property division, which may make spousal support unnecessary. Spousal support may be awarded, though, depending on a couple’s unique circumstances. If a couple has children, both parents have a responsibility to provide financial support for their children.
Q: Who Has to Leave the House in a Divorce in Indiana?
A: This depends on several different factors, including whether the couple has children. When the court determines who keeps a marital home, it considers the importance of a child or children remaining in a stable location or in the marital home.
When a couple does not have children, the marital home is subject to the same rules of equitable distribution as any other marital assets. Spouses can also make the decision outside of court regarding how to split the marital home.
Q: Who Gets Custody of a Child in a Divorce in Indiana?
A: In Indiana, the parent who gets custody of children in a divorce will depend on a few factors. The Indiana family court determines custody based on a child’s interests, and it believes it to be in the child’s interest to have frequent and meaningful time with both parents. This means that the court prefers joint custody, except in specific cases where joint custody would endanger the child’s physical or emotional well-being.
The court will consider many factors when determining child custody, including the ability of each parent to provide for a child’s needs. If parents create a parenting plan outside of court, the court will approve it as long as it is in the child’s interests.
Effectively Navigating Your Indianapolis Family Law Case With Stange Law Firm
A family law case can change a lot about your life. It’s important to get beneficial and experienced legal care to protect your rights and provide you with the resources you need. At Stange Law Firm, we provide compassionate and skilled legal care. Contact our team today.
