Go with the pros: 5 questions to ask your family law practitioner

Family law is one of the Australian legal system’s most complex and personally trying branches. This is because there is a lot of emotional investment placed upon the outcomes of such cases, with custody hearings and spousal support just the beginning of a profound legal branch that covers all bases regarding the family.

With this in mind, it’s vital that you find the best practitioners of family law Sydney CBD firms have available, as they can provide you with important advice as well as help you achieve the best possible outcome.

But to find the best practitioner, it is imperative that you ask them a few important questions before agreeing to their service (or handing over any money).

Be sure to ask your potential lawyer these five simple questions before enlisting their services:

1. How much experience do you have in the field?

The right practitioner will be able to demonstrate ample experience in this complex legal field. The last thing you want is a novice to handle your case, especially as they likely don’t have the experience to deal with the situation’s emotional profundity.

So, the first thing you should ask your potential representative is this, “how much experience do you have in practising family law?” They should have the utmost confidence in telling you just how long they have been practising in the field, how many cases they’ve handled, whether they have dealt with cases similar to yours and more.

2. How will they handle your case?

Given that the right legal professional has probably dealt with cases similar to yours, they should be able to quickly provide a framework of how to manage your case.

Basically, this means telling you how the process should play out, and what needs to be done to ensure you get the very best outcome from said process. Red flags will be waving strong if the practitioner can’t give you a basic idea of how to manage such a case, as a knowledge of how to do so proves their experience.

3. Do you have past-client testimonials?

If the family law practitioner is successful in their chosen field then they should have no problem providing you with some happy past-client testimonials. Naturally, the best place to start when choosing a representative is Google, as their “Reviews” section can provide a lot of helpful information regarding a firm’s experience, but you want to know more than that…

A thorough testimonial will be able to tell you the aspects of the representative’s service that the client really appreciated, and you can attribute these positives to your impending experience and whether or not this will work for you throughout the legal process.

4. Can we avoid going to trial?

Naturally, trial isn’t always the only outcome of a family law case, with mediation and out-of-court settlements being on the cards for many legal situations. With this in mind, it might be a good idea to ask your potential representative if they can use their skills to avoid this trying-yet-tedious situation, as it could make the difference between a quick or drawn out resolution (and a lot of personal heartache).

5. Will you personally be handling my case?

Some firms will host a consultation with their experienced lawyers only to then shaft the client onto one of their more inexperienced staff, so be sure to ask if the lawyer will be handling the case themselves or if the firm intends to palm you onto one of their more junior representatives…