Choosing a Family Law Attorney in Albany, GA: What to Consider

Family Law Services Explained

Family law attorneys in Albany, GA offer a variety of legal services that are designed to address a range of specific family-related issues. While not an exhaustive list, this section outlines the most common cases that involve interaction with a family lawyer.
Divorce is perhaps the most commonly sought service offered by family law attorneys. This particular service ensures that individuals effectively navigate a divorce from beginning to end. Attorneys can help clients establish grounds for divorce, represent them in child custody arrangements, reach settlements, and handle any and all divorce-related issues.
In most cases, a divorce also involves a need for child support, which is awarded to parents after a divorce to cover the costs associated with raising the child in the absence of both parents. Family law attorneys help to establish the amount of child support being awarded, as well as the frequency and form of payment (checks, direct deposit, etc.). Child support is a matter that is out of the hands of the custodial parent; both parents are required to make payments to ensure the well-being of the child.
Like child support, custody and visitation are family law matters that are addressed at all times during the divorce process. After a divorce is finalized, both legal and physical custody are established. While one parent may have physical custody, where the child lives, legal custody means that the child’s best interests are always taken into account . This is the category under which child support and visitation come into play. In some cases, grandparents also file for custody, the process of which is handled by family law attorneys.
The adoption of a child also falls under the purview of a family law attorney. Compared largely to the divorce process, adoption is a way of establishing new legal relationships. This includes a termination of parental rights for the biological parents, which can occur if they contest the adoption, particularly if it is filed by a stepparent. In most cases, a woman or man who wishes to marry will also seek an adoption if his or her partner has a child with a previous partner. If there is no biological relationship between the two, the stepparent can easily adopt the child through the simple filing of an adoption kit. If there is a sibling involved in the case, the adoption becomes a little more complex, as the custodial parent may have made an effort to prevent it in order to maintain their relationship with the child.
Firmly entrenched in family law is paternity cases, which is another issue dealt with by family law attorneys in Albany, GA. For another reason to seek representation, a mother or father may need to establish legal paternity over a child in order to secure their rights to visitation or child support. To establish the ultimate paternity of their child, the person filing typically secures a DNA test, which then determines the responsibilities involved, including child support and health care plans.

Why Go with a Local Albany, GA Attorney?

Hiring a local lawyer is often times better than hiring a lawyer from outside of your community. It costs money to travel and outside firms will charge you for their travel time. If something big comes up and you need to have a firm meeting at the last minute or appear in court you want a local firm who can make it back to the office in a timely manner and be able to service your case. Additionally, a local lawyer will know local court rules and procedures and will likely know local judges and attorneys. As a client, you want a lawyer who lives and breathes family law matters. You want someone who is in the trenches every day and knows what to expect and how to handle each particular matter.

All About a Good Family Law Attorney

A reputable Albany family law attorney needs to possess several qualities that make him or her a strong advocate for your case. If you are in the process of choosing a lawyer to represent you in your legal matters, there are some characteristics that you should look for when making your decision. An ideal family law attorney will be empathetic to your situation. You want someone who understands the emotional and financial strain you are going through as you deal with issues like divorce, child custody, alimony, property division and your general quality of life after the proceedings have concluded. You will also want to ensure your family law attorney has strong communication skills. Throughout the legal process, you will need to be in contact with your lawyer on several occasions and need to understand what options exist for you and what steps you need to take. A strong communicator will always keep you updated about your case and notify you about developments as they happen. Finally, you should carefully consider an attorney’s track record and experience in family law cases. You want someone who can demonstrate a history of success in similar cases and whose clients speak glowingly about the service they received.

Pre-Attorney Steps to Consider

Before making the decision on whether it is necessary to hire a family law attorney to assist with your matter, there are several steps you can take to assess the situation and help determine what the best course of action should be. First, you should gather all of the documentation you can find that relates to your case. If you and your spouse have been married for a long time, you may have dozens of financial and legal documents – relating to taxes, businesses, retirement accounts, etc. Sometimes it is easier for the attorney to see all of this information up front and then organize and compartmentalize it to manage the case effectively.
It is also a good idea for you to create an outline of your basic goals before meeting with an attorney. What do you want out of your case? Is this something that might be better suited for mediation, or litigation? Do you have a preference on custody arrangements, property division, child support payments, etc.? And where do you see yourself in two, five, or even 10 years? Does it make sense to settle this case as quickly as possible, or do you need to be more patient about your settlement in order to get what you ultimately want?
Finally, make sure you have a good idea of what your legal rights and responsibilities are at this stage in the process. Familiarize yourself with Georgia divorce and family law proceedings by reading through some relevant materials online and asking questions of your attorney. The more information you have, the higher quality of advice you will likely receive from your attorney, which will provide you with a better shot at getting the results you desire.

What to Look for in Initial Consultation

When you schedule an initial consultation in Albany Georgia with a family law attorney, you typically meet for at least an hour, likely two. During that time, the attorney is going to want to know about your situation and what kept you from resolving the case. He or she will ask for all sorts of details, and you shouldn’t be surprised if there are some things they keep coming back to that are really important to the case.
When you engage a family law attorney for divorce or other family law issues in Albany Georgia (such as adoption, alimony, child support, or legitimation), they will likely turn you over to staff members for collection of documents and information to fully evaluate the case. Generally speaking, the first two hours of attorney’s fees in the representation of a typical Albany Georgia divorce/child custody case will go to the collection of information .
By the end of the first meeting, you should be asked to pay the retainer to begin work on your case. It is during the initial meeting that you will learn more about payment plans, too. Eskorteurs are often about this retainer. You must know how much work the lawyer intends to do for the money you are paying, and if that work is included in the retainer or will require payments outside of the retainer. If the lawyer will not tell you at least the range he or she intends to charge, you have a problem.
In summary, you should be prepared for at least an hour with a family law attorney for an initial consultation. The attorney should be prepared to give you expectations and answer all of your questions.

Family Law Case Misconceptions

A common myth of individuals involved in family law cases is that judges have the power to decide their fate. The reality is that judges will defer to the wishes of the individuals, and they will make decisions based on what is in the best interests of the minor children involved in the case. Judges are not going to be the ones to make decisions regarding your children or your needs. This will always fall to the parties involved. If those parties can determine an agreement, the judge will approve the settlement. If they cannot do so, the judge will be left with no other option than to make a determination based on the facts presented.
Another myth is that your attorney determines the cost of litigation. The truth is that you are the party in control. You instruct your attorney and provide your attorney with direction on how to proceed with your case. If you instruct your attorney to file unnecessary motions and prepare pleadings that are strictly aimed at harassing the opposing party, your fees and costs will rise accordingly. However, if you are reasonable and work with your attorney to maintain reasonableness relative to your costs, your fees will be reasonable as well.
Many individuals believe that a judge will require both parties to be represented by counsel. This is false. You may proceed without an attorney if you feel comfortable. However, the court will allow attorneys to withdraw at any time, and at that point, the court will not force the entering party to retain counsel.
If both parties agree to split the cost of mediation equally, a judge may order that each party attend the session with the mediator individually, irrespective of whether there is an attorney present at that session. The parties are free to defer mediation until a full discovery is completed, but it is a flexible process that can happen at any time.

Picking an Albany, GA Attorney

Choosing an attorney who meets your individual needs will require a balance of expertise, experience, and personal approach. You want an attorney who specializes in the type of law relevant to your case, has credentials that reflect their skills and experience, and whose personality meshes with yours. A good rule of thumb is "not too big, not too small, just right."
Wolfinger Law subscribes to the belief that by offering individualized, personalized service, we can better meet our clients’ needs. We pride ourselves on being able to relate to our clients and their situations, while providing the level of service they expect and deserve—having been there ourselves, we know exactly how our clients are feeling.
It’s difficult to overemphasize the importance of client testimonials when evaluating a potential attorney. A good recommendation from a trusted friend may be a deciding factor in whether you schedule an appointment or choose to go a different route. Conversely, an evaluation from someone you trust may copy and paste the words of a paid for written testimonial, or, worse yet, may be an emotional outburst of a disgruntled ex-spouse not representative of the services an attorney has provided .
When choosing an attorney, you should be able to interview them prior to hiring them. Before you meet, do your homework about what questions would be appropriate to ask at an initial interview and what factors might affect your hiring decision. Consider the following:
Again, take advantage of technology, and scout the internet for attorney ratings and reviews from past clients. These can be good sources from which to glean additional information to help you in making your hiring decision.
Make sure you meet the attorney who will personally handle your case and become your partner in achieving your goals. Pay attention to the level of service you receive during the initial interview, because this is what you can expect during the course of doing business with the company. How did the attorney respond to your questions or concerns? Was the staff professional, compassionate, and helpful? Does the firm have multiple partners, or just a single managing attorney? These factors can play a role in how large your firm is and the level of individualized service to expect.