Client’s First Meeting With An Austin Child Custody Attorney
The initial client meeting is the attorney’s opportunity to gather most of the important facts to present in the case—both positive and negative. A good litigator understands which information is beneficial, detrimental, or insignificant, and identifies ways to prevent the negative aspects from dismantling the case. It is also an opportunity to develop a rapport and give the client confidence that the attorney will be both effective and trustworthy. Developing clear and open lines of communication facilitates better information exchange, and allows the attorney to reasonably control the client’s actions by ensuring the client does not, for example, criticize the other parent through e-mail, hide money, or make secret doctors’ appointments.
It is important during the initial meeting to provide the client with an understanding of the actual law, including what terms such as “joint custody” mean, what rights and duties exist, the various possession schedules, and how to conduct exchanges. Many clients have been misinformed either from their own internet research or from friends/family regarding the actual law. Urban myths abound regarding child custody.
Finally, the attorney should work with the client during the initial meeting to develop a strategy. It is important for the client to understand the strategy from the outset, and understand the steps the attorney will take to meet his or her goals. The attorney must be careful to set clear, realistic expectations for every step of the process without anchoring a client to a particular result—judges can sometimes be unpredictable. If the client has reasonable expectations, however, and follows the attorney’s orders and has sufficient resources to pay for the process, it is usually possible to meet the client’s goals.
Evans Family Law Group in Austin, TX – Litigate, Mediate, Collaborate
Litigation is not necessarily a grudge match. At Evans Law we have built our reputation on avoiding conflict when possible. Messy court proceedings are often bad for all parties involved. Let’s be rational. Schedule an appointment with an Austin lawyer today.