I know well that the title of this blog alone can cause anxiety and stress. It can be overwhelming to meet with an attorney for the first time. Just walking into an attorney’s office when starting the divorce process can be a daunting, emotionally charged experience.
My experience with divorce attorneys is that they are usually good people who want the best for their clients. They are both technically and emotionally astute, as they are guiding their clients through what is likely the most stressful time of their lives. Even knowing all of this, the first meeting can be intimidating.
There are ways you can prepare for the meeting to make it as efficient and productive as possible. The bottom line is that you do not want to waste money on hourly attorney fees. The more you can stay on task during the meeting, the more you can reduce your fees.
Record your financials
First, you will want to come prepared with a list of your assets, debts, and income. Preparing this information may sound simple, but it can take quite a bit of work if you have not been involved in your family’s finances prior to the divorce. If you want help with this, I offer our free Empowered Divorce Planning Guide at the end of the blog. This guide provides tips and tricks to work through this process.
Create a marital history document
Next, you should create a martial history document. Excel works well for this—you can list dates in one column and events in the other.
In this document, you will want to list major family events, such as your date of marriage, the birthdates of any children, dates of any moves to other homes, purchases of properties, starting or quitting jobs, etc. This is a great document to hand to the attorney that will quickly give them an overview of the most important events during your marriage.
Stay focused
It is important to be aware of going off on tangents. Again, most attorneys bill hourly, and you want to stick to the important information as much as possible and avoid extra conversations. I understand there is a lot to process during a divorce, but a close friend may be a better person to discuss these issues with instead of your attorney.
Get your free Empowered Divorce Planning Guide
I invite you to click the link below, and we will send you our free Empowered Divorce Planning Guide. This workbook will guide you through this process and offer two vital steps to prepare for divorce.
If you are feeling overwhelmed and would like to discuss these matters with a professional, we also offer a no obligation 30-minute call to walk you through the guide and answer your questions.
Click Here to Sign up for a No Obligation Call
Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.
Opinions expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.
