Save Money on Fees and Keep Your Family Law Case on Track With These Tips
You may not know it but, while having a skilled and seasoned attorney is critical to the success of a divorce or custody case, the client also plays a critical role in determining how successful of an outcome they receive. Not only can a case be won or lost based on a client’s behavior, but clients can save themselves hundreds—even thousands—of dollars in fees by adhering to a few key guidelines and taking an active role in their case. Read on to learn how clients can save on fees and promote the success of their case, and contact a knowledgeable New Jersey family law attorney with any additional questions.
Get your documents submitted
During the evidence-exchanging phase of the case known as discovery, your attorney will be collecting documents from your former spouse and will also need to turn over documents that you produce. If your lawyer asks you to send him documents, it’s important that you send them as quickly as possible, even if you don’t understand why. Failing to turn over documents could delay your case or even result in penalties imposed by the court. Ask your attorney whether to send original documents or if emailing the documents as PDFs would save time at the law office (thus saving you money).
If you aren’t sure, ask!
Your lawyer wants you to be engaged in your case and fully updated about its progress. If you have questions, whether about the reason for a particular litigation decision by your attorney, the reasons why you need to produce certain information, or the current status of your case, you should ask. In order to make the best use of your attorney’s time (and your money), keep a list of questions you want to ask your attorney as they come up and ask them in a single call or email made or sent once a week, rather than emailing or calling each time a question arises.
Keep track of info your attorney passes along
Keep notes on the information your attorney provides, whether by saving emails or taking careful notes during phone calls. You may not need or understand all the information at the time, but you could want it in the future, and by keeping notes, you won’t need to pay your attorney to answer the same question twice.
Trust your attorney—they’re looking out for you.
Most importantly, take your attorney’s advice. They have a very strong interest in seeing you succeed and have spent years learning what it takes to reach a positive outcome in a New Jersey family law case. Their advice may seem difficult to follow or just plain wrong, but in all likelihood, there’s a good reason for their recommendation. Trust that they’re looking out for you at every turn.
If you need skilled, dedicated, and effective legal help for a New Jersey divorce or custody issue, contact the Union offices of family law attorney John B. D’Alessandro at 908-964-0102.