Hire Right the First Time

I hired an attorney.
Then I had to hire another one.

I did not know what to ask. So I hired the wrong one, and I found out the expensive way.

These are the questions I wish I had asked the first time. They come from my own divorce, twenty years of clinical work, and sitting in mediations next to women who were on attorney number two.

More than 300 women have taken this guide into their consult. Some walked away from the attorney they almost hired. Others knew they'd found the right one before they paid a cent.

Questions like:

• What happens when the other parent ignores the parenting plan, and what can we put in writing now so I'm not paying you to fix it later?
• How many cases like mine have you taken to trial?
• Do you usually push to settle, or are you ready to go to court if it comes to that?

Also covered:

• What they do when the other side stops cooperating.
• What the money you pay up front actually covers and how to be warned before the bill climbs another two thousand dollars.
• Whether your attorney is doing the work or handing it to an assistant, what that costs you, and how long you will wait for someone to answer.
• How long this takes in your state, when your case actually starts, and a realistic timeline if it ever gets as far as court.

What you walk out holding:

• The questions you'd normally think of in the car on the way home, already written down and sitting next to you on the passenger seat.
• Every answer in your own handwriting. After three consults they all blur together. This way you hire the best one, not the last one you talked to.
• A gut check before you leave the parking lot. Did they answer straight or dodge? Did you feel heard or hurried? Were the fees clear? Hire, pass, or keep looking.

If you're thinking:

"Does it really matter who I hire?"

In a high conflict case, it does. An attorney who has handled one knows the stalling, the hidden income, and the ignored orders before they happen. One who hasn't learns on your dime.

"I don't have an attorney yet."

Good. It works better before. Most of what's in here is for the consult you haven't booked.

"I can find these questions online."

Yes, you can. But you can't find a list that tells you what to ask for YOUR type of case and what makes one like yours expensive. There is a difference.

"My attorney will tell me what I need to know."

Not always. They usually answer what you ask. That's their job. At $300 to $400 an hour, you're the one paying to figure out the right questions.

"What if he sees the charge?"

He won't see my name. Your bank statement says KR COACHING. Nothing about divorce. Nothing about me. Nothing he'd look twice at.

"I switched attorneys mid divorce. I didn't know what to ask the first time with money already gone. After Kerrie gave me these questions I knew exactly what I should be asking and looking for and ended up finding a wonderful attorney using these questions. If I would have stayed with that first attorney, I think my outcome would have looked very different."

K., Wisconsin