You are looking for an attorney to represent you in your divorce. Your family tells you about a lawyer they used in Atlanta who has a great reputation and a large firm. Do you follow their advice?
- There are many great big firm family law attorneys in Atlanta who can do a great job for you in your divorce. However, I would suggest that you consider the following:
- A) What is their hourly rate? Many top attorneys in Atlanta charge in excess of $450.00 an hour. If they tell you that we’ll get your spouse to pay, be aware that our local judges most likely will award attorney’s fees base on local rates, which are lower. You may have to pay the rest, potentially out of your property division.
- B) Are they going to charge you for travel? For a hearing in Newnan or Fayetteville they may charge you three (3) hours just to drive. At $450.00 an hour you just spent $1,360.00 BEFORE the lawyer does anything.
- C) Are they going to charge you for “paralegal time”, copying costs, fax costs? Big firms do a great job of billing to justify the fancy office, staff and advertising costs.
- D) Do they practice often in Fayette County or Coweta County? Do they have experience with the local judges and local practices?
- E) Is the recommended lawyer actually going to represent you? Or is an “Associate” going to be handed your case. An associate is an employee of the firm who most likely is far less experienced than the big name attorney.
As a local attorney who has practiced in Coweta County and Fayette County for thirty years, I recommend you hire a local attorney. A divorce and family law lawyer who has been in front of local judges for many years will have the experience to understand the most likely outcome of your case. This is necessary to determine the appropriate settlement of your divorce or family law matter, which is crucial to determining whether to try your case or settle. I do not charge for my legal assistant making copies or putting a file together; I charge for the time I spend on your case. Your case is not going to be handed off to an inexperienced attorney; if you hire my firm you will have me as your attorney.
You can consult local bar associations to find other local attorneys.
https://www.fayettebar.com/Home/Members
https://www.barassociationdirectory.com/ga/newan-coweta-bar-association