Tips For Hiring A Child Support Attorney

The need for a child custody attorney or family law attorney has been steadily increasing since the 1950s. Communicating about co-parenting or custody is necessary. Determine which is the best choice for your case.

There is a slight difference between a family law attorney and a child custody attorney. Family law attorneys concentrate on family-related matters including prenuptial agreements, divorce, adoption, domestic violence cases, and child custody. Child custody attorneys operate as the advocate for one party, proving that one caregiver is best suitable. They also provide legal advice in the pre-trial phase, explain all possible outcomes, and act as a mediator between both parties. Comparatively, child custody attorneys are family law attorneys that specialize in custody cases. Throughout the rest of this article, the terms family law attorneys and child custody attorneys will be used interchangeably.

There are a few things to consider when deciding if legal representation is needed:

It’s a complicated case: if a parent lives in another state, domestic violence accusations or charges have occurred, there are other parties involved besides the parents.

Lawyer Retainer Fees

Lawyer rates: A lawyer's retainer fees are typically high and are given upfront. These rates are based on the number of hours it may take to conclude the case and in which state services are rendered. Free legal aid or lawyers with reduced rates is a possibility but is not guaranteed.

The parent that has custody can request legal representation to determine child support and how often visitation should be granted or not. The non-custodial parent may require the lawyer to advocate for their interests which may include visitation, frequency, duration, and determining who should be present. Furthermore, if it’s decided that there shouldn’t be direct contact between parents at drop-off and pick-up, then there needs to be a plan of how that will be managed.

Hiring Legal Representation

Most family attorneys are sought out by their clients. Here are the steps for hiring reliable legal representation:

• Lawyer recommendations can come through friends or family, single parent online networks, court officials (such as the clerk), and the State Bar Association. Each state has a Bar Association that provides lawyers names, specialties, and if their license is in good standing or has been suspended and why.

• Interviewing potential lawyers is important before making a final decision. A free consultation can always be requested. Analyze the level of comfortability there is to express your needs and concerns freely. Find out how much experience they have with similar cases and request references. The payment arrangement needs to be outlined.

• Inquire about a lawyer’s reputation. This can also be learned by word-of-mouth; Communicate with the single-parent community in your area, online, and local court officials. Additionally, a reliable source of information is always the state lawyer directory.

• Custody battles are sensitive and difficult topics. It may require professional legal representation, especially if it's a complicated case. Lawyer fees can be expensive, but some lawyers do pro bono work. Choose which options suit your case the best.