Questions To Ask Your Divorce Lawyer

If you are contemplating divorce and are meeting with a family lawyer for the first time, asking the right questions will make your session much more useful. Questions about family and spousal support and cost, among others, need to be clearly discussed.

Ellis Legal Group has all the answers to your questions. Our seasoned family lawyers serving Okotoks and Calgary at large specialize in formulating equitable divorce settlements that protect your mental health and assets without hurting your spouse or disrupting your children’s well-being. To learn more about how we can make your divorce as painless as possible, call 403-879-1635 or fill out the online contact form.

The more you work with your divorce lawyer, the smoother your divorce will be. Letting your divorce lawyer do all the heavy lifting and avoiding consistent communication is a surefire way of arriving at an unsatisfactory settlement.

The foundation of a solid working relationship between you and your lawyers is laid by asking the relevant questions. We recommend asking questions on the following topics:

• Communication: For such an important matter in your life, set clear rules of communication with your lawyer. Cooperation requires your lawyer to be on the same page as you. Do not assume that their preferred way of communicating is the same as yours. Will you be primarily communicating by phone, email, or in-person meetings? How often will you be communicating? How will you receive the paperwork related to your case?
• Cost: Settling a divorce can be expensive, especially if it drags on and on. The cost of the divorce is probably a major concern for you, and you should bring it up to your lawyer as soon as possible. Ask them how much the divorce will cost. While the lawyer is unlikely to give you a specific answer, they can still tell you how to keep the expenses down and how to prevent a contentious process with your ex from driving them up on purpose.
• Expectations: Do not go through the entire process wearing rose-tinted glasses. Your lawyer should be in a position to tell you what you can realistically expect based on the facts surrounding your divorce. How has the court historically ruled divorces similar to yours? What are the laws pertaining to the issues in your divorce? Making expectations clear from the get-go allows you and your lawyer to focus on making the best-case scenario a reality.
• Child custody: If children are involved, learn about different custody and parenting options. For example, legal custody and physical custody are not the same, and each mode of custody can be partial or whole. Your lawyer will let you know whether your preferred custody and parenting plan is feasible given the circumstances of your divorce.
• Child and spousal support: The spouse who makes less money may request spousal and/or child support after a divorce. An experienced lawyer should be able to estimate how much financial support you can expect to receive or owe. Arriving at a common understanding on this issue early negates unpleasant surprises down the road.
• Billing: Last but not least, you should know how much working with your lawyer will cost you. An honest lawyer will let you know the hourly rates of all the people working on your case and how they will bill you. You should also ask whether you can transfer your lawyer’s fee to your spouse or whether you are at risk of paying for their lawyer’s fees.

Truthfully, the questions you can ask your lawyer are endless. In addition to these, consider inquiring about confidentiality, the settlement, property issues, and living arrangements, for instance.

We have all heard the horror stories surrounding divorces: exorbitant settlements, traumatized children, grief and depression…

Your divorce, should it come to that, need not be this way. Working with a reputable family and estate law firm like Ellis Legal Group can help you avoid these pitfalls. Asking the right questions, especially in relation to cost, expectations, custody, financial support, and billing can help in this regard as well. Explore how a family lawyer from Ellis Legal Group can make your divorce a tolerable experience for all parties involved. Call 403-879-1635 or fill out the online contact form.

Q: Can we still own property together after we divorce?
A: Yes you can. Divorced couples can still own property together. 

Q: Do I still have to pay spousal support if they remarry? 
A: No. Spousal support is automatically annulled if they remarry.  

Q: What If I’m the one who remarries? 
A: In that case, you are still obligated to pay spousal support.