When to call a lawyer

Why calling a lawyer to get information sooner rather than later can help you.

When should I call a lawyer?

The best answer is as soon as possible upon a separation.

If you are thinking about what your rights are, you need to find out right away what they really are.

A lot of words have been written about assumptions and how much trouble they can get you into. You are an adult. You know lots of things and have heard lots of things. You believe that legal things are right up there with things in general you know. Not so. Guessing and assuming what your rights are will land you in the wrong place.

Every time.

We often hear from people that they have reached an agreement with their former spouse by the time they call us. They just want confirmation that the deal is a good one for them. Most of the time they negotiated the deal without knowing all the financial information and without knowing how the law applies to them.

At that point, it is very difficult to back-pedal from something you have already told your former spouse you will do as “the deal”. Even though it’s not aligned with your rights.

Many people are fearful of calling a lawyer. Or worse, anyone else (particularly their former spouse) finding out they have called a lawyer. People fear their former spouse getting angry and feeling like you just want to “take them to the cleaners” or take them to court if you get legal information.

None of that happens when you simply do a consult. All lawyers must keep client information confidential. They cannot tell your former spouse that you contacted them. You can do it by telephone or video call so no one would even see you walking into a lawyer’s office building.

With our service, you have no commitment to hire us for anything other than what you pay for at the time. If you want a half hour consultation, then that is all you pay for. You will not be asked to spend more money or buy more time. No retainers are required. We do not represent you. We will not say anything to anyone about your call or take any actions on your behalf. Nothing sets you on a course to court (unless that is your plan and you need help understanding it). All we do is answer your questions and give you information on your rights. Information on the court system. Information on divorce. Information on how the law applies to you.

Calling a lawyer has nothing to do with not trusting your former spouse to negotiate appropriately with you. Calling a lawyer has everything to do with you understanding what you should be negotiating and how. It can calm you and ease your fears to know there are certain laws about certain things. We often hear stories from people who thought there was no law around certain things. They feel so much better knowing what the law really is. We often hear that after a consult clients feel relieved, less stressed and more able to manage the process they are in.

That relief is available for you.

You may learn that a time limit applies to your case, and you need to do something quickly. You may learn that to preserve your rights you need to take certain steps. All these things are important.

We like to say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The more you know in advance, the better situated you are to move forward. Call us. We can help you. No strings attached.