What to Make Sure You Tell Your Divorce Attorney

By Nottage and Ward on September 20, 2012

Meeting with a divorce attorney can be overwhelming. When you actually take action, it means that your divorce is real and it is easy to get caught up in all of the unknowns. It is important, however, that you hold it together when meeting with an attorney so that you can be sure to provide the important information they need to properly assess your situation. An experienced divorce attorney, such as those at Nottage and Ward in Illinois, don’t just want your financial information and the basic facts of your marriage, however. To effectively represent you, a family law attorney needs to know the skeletons in your closet.

Before meeting with an attorney, come up with the answers to these 10 questions:

1. Do you have any common friends with your spouse and would they testify against you?
2. What is the worst thing that can be said about you, whether it’s true or not?
3. Have you ever received treatment for addiction or mental illness, or been placed in a treatment facility due to mental health issues?
4. Do you or your spouse have a criminal record, recent arrests, or warrants? Is your spouse aware of any criminal conduct on your part?
5. Have you met with any other attorney about your divorce? If yes, why are you here instead of there?
6. Do you have any other children that don’t reside with you and are you financially supporting them?
7. Have you ever been involved with child protective services for any situation?
8. Have you been involved in any other type of litigation and what was the result?
9. Are you being honest? Could your spouse disprove any of your answers to the above questions?
10. Is there anything else that you could tell me that could help me understand who you are or be essential to representing you?

The more your divorce lawyer knows about you, the better prepared they are to present your case and argue for a favorable divorce settlement. If you would like to speak to an experienced divorce attorney in Illinois, call the offices of Nottage and Ward today for a consultation at (312) 332-2915. Before calling, you can read what our former clients have to say about our services on our Testimonials page.