Hiring and Settling
Documents to Bring to Your First Divorce Consultation
A practical list of the financial, family and legal documents to bring to a divorce lawyer, how to organize them, and how preparation can reduce billable hours.
Hiring and Settling
Choosing a lawyer, preparing for consultations and settling versus trial.
Choosing the right lawyer and arriving prepared are the two biggest levers you control over cost. These guides cover the questions to ask before hiring, the documents to bring to a first consultation, how to verify a lawyer through your state bar, and when mediation, collaborative divorce or settlement makes more sense than a trial.
A prepared client saves billable hours. A clear sense of your priorities, whether that is custody, the house, retirement accounts or support, helps your lawyer focus effort where it matters. Use the consultation checklist in the tools section, then read about comparing lawyers and settling versus going to court.
Nothing here replaces advice from a licensed attorney who knows your state's rules and your facts.
Guides in this topic
Hiring and Settling
How to Check a Divorce Lawyer's License, Discipline Record and Reviews
Verify a divorce lawyer through your state bar, read reviews with caution, spot red flags in advertising and compare candidates on criteria that actually matter.
Hiring and Settling
Divorce Mediation vs. Collaborative Divorce: Cost and How They Work
Compare divorce mediation, collaborative divorce and traditional litigation. See how each process works, what it may cost, who it suits and where each can fail.
Hiring and Settling
25 Questions to Ask a Divorce Lawyer Before You Hire
Use this list of questions about fees, experience, strategy and communication to compare divorce lawyers and avoid surprise costs before you sign a fee agreement.
Hiring and Settling
Settling vs. Going to Trial in a Divorce: Cost, Control and Risk
Compare settling a divorce with going to trial. See how cost, control, timing, privacy and risk differ, and how to decide when a settlement offer is worth accepting.