Fighting a child custody case can be mentally and emotionally draining. Dealing with the idea of losing rights over your child can be very stressful. Therefore, it’s important to hire the right legal help to guide you through the process and fight your case. Hiring a good representation can make you more confident and help eliminate some of your stress.
Having an experienced child custody lawyer can make this journey a lot easier for you. However, the process of finding and hiring a lawyer can be a little tough. How can one know if the lawyer you’re hiring is the best for you? It’s therefore important to do your research before you hire your representation. Once you’ve rounded up a few names, make sure to visit and ask them the following questions before you hire them.
Question 1: For How Long Have You Been Fighting Child Custody Cases?
The experience of your lawyer matters a lot. An experienced child custody lawyer knows how things work and have more experience in handling complicated child custody cases. They’ll be able to guide you better and can be honest with you about your chances of winning. They’ll also be able to develop better arguments to present in court and know the right moves to make to win your case. Make sure the lawyer is experienced before hiring them.
Question 2: How Many Cases Have You Worked On?
This is an important question and can help you find out about the trial experience of your potential lawyer. Once you’ve hired a lawyer thinking you will settle and the case goes to trial, you won’t have enough time to hire another lawyer. It can be very chaotic and a recipe for failure. It’s, therefore, crucial to hire a lawyer who has good trial experience. Make sure that they’ve tried at least 20 to 30 cases, even if you intend to settle.
Question 3: What’s Your Approach to Child Custody Cases?
Your goal should be to settle the case, and so should be your lawyer’s. Even when you mean to settle, make sure you hire a lawyer that’s completely committed and devoted to their work. They should go above and beyond to win your case. They should be confident and aggressive. Having a lawyer who knows what they’re doing and is confident about the results can really make a huge difference.
Question 4: Is My Case Complicated? If Yes, Why?
Ask your potential lawyer if your case is complicated and why? It’s very important to understand your situation entirely before you make any moves. If your potential lawyer believes that it is. Ask them why and how can they help? Ask them about the chances of getting your desired results. You don’t just want a confident lawyer; you also want them to be honest and realistic.
Question 5: Have You Fought Cases Like Mine Before?
It’s important to know if your lawyer has experience in fighting cases like yours. If you have a complicated case, you might want to hire someone who has already won or successfully settled such cases before. This won’t just make you feel more assured, confident, and at peace about your legal representation but can also improve your chances of winning.
Question 6: How Does the Process Work?
Understanding how the legal process will work is crucial to your case. Make sure to ask your potential lawyer to explain how the process will work and what they will be doing for you at each step of the process. Legal processes can be complicated, and it’s better to ask legal experts about them. This will also give you an understanding of how well your lawyer knows the process and how willing they are to help you get through.
Question 7: Do You Regularly Update Your Clients and Keep in Touch with Them?
You might want a lawyer who keeps you in the loop and regularly updates you about the case. Having regular updates about your case can give you a lot of mental peace and ease a lot of your stress. Just knowing that your lawyer has been taking care of it and is following through the process can make you feel assured and on top of your case. It’s therefore important to hire a lawyer who’s able to keep you updated about your case.
Question 8: How Will I be Able to Reach You?
It’s important to know if you’ll be able to reach your lawyer if you have any queries, want an update, or want to discuss anything. Your lawyer might have a lot of other cases to handle; however, you should be able to reach them. Make sure they reply to emails and get back to their clients within the same day so that you both can communicate effectively.
Question 9: How to Define My Custody Arrangement?
Describe to them what you’re looking for from this custody case or settlement. Make sure to use no legal jargon as parents often confuse between legal terminologies and tend to use the wrong ones. Once you’ve told them about your desired results, ask them what kind of arrangement will it be? There are different types of child custody:
- Sole Custody
- Shared Legal Custody
- Shared Physical Custody
- Split Custody
Parents often confuse between sole custody and primary residence. Therefore, you should explain it to your potential lawyer and ask for the right legal terms to explain the arrangement you want. You can also ask them to explain a little bit about the child custody laws in Canada.
Question 10: How Much Will This Cost Me?
Find out your lawyer’s service charges and the overall cost of fighting your child custody case before you hire them. Hiring a lawyer can be a little expensive sometimes. It’s important to ask for the costs before you dive into the process.
Want to hire a legal representation for your child custody case? Let the family lawyers at Nanda and Associate Lawyers Professional Corporation help you fight your case. We have a huge team of family law, real estate, civil litigation, personal injury, and Canadian immigration lawyers. No matter what your legal issue is, the lawyers at Nanda can help you with anything from child custody to Canada spouse visas.
For any legal trouble, book a free consultation with Nanda & Associate Lawyers.
