How to Work Effectively With Your Family Attorney

Family law is a broad but specialized area and typically deals with issues like divorce, adoption, name changes, restraining orders, child support, estate planning, and more. All of these are often stressful situations, and a great Austin family attorney can be a huge asset during those times. But how do you work effectively with your attorney? Here are some thoughts from an Austin, TX family law firm about the best way to have a great working relationship with your lawyer.

How to Work Effectively With Your Austin, TX Family Attorney

Choose Only Experience

There are attorneys out there who tried to broaden their practice and work in all kinds of areas of the law. That’s not what you want with something as complicated and stressful as a family law issue. Whether you’re facing a divorce, trying to get custody of your children, or are engaged in the rewarding but difficult process of adoption, you want someone who thoroughly understands the Texas law code and has extensive experience in the Austin family courts. Look for a law firm that is exclusively about family law. You’re going to have a much better experience right from the start if you do.

You also want to make sure that the family law firm you choose has the qualities you need to make it possible to work with them well. For example, are they empathetic and responsive when you meet with them? Are they practical, thinking about how much money it’s going to cost you and working with you to find a way to accomplish your goals realistically? Do they have experience in both courtroom litigation and also mediation and negotiation? Can they tell you right from the outset what you should expect in terms of a timeline, a general idea of expense, and the potential challenges?

Be Totally Truthful

You know the old saying: “the two people you should never lie to are your doctor and your lawyer.” This is sound advice because both of these people have your best interests in mind, but neither of them can serve you effectively if you don’t tell them the whole truth. Also, both these professions are unique in that they have special rules regarding the relationship between doctor and patient and attorney and client. The attorney-client relationship is sacrosanct. Your attorney may not discuss your private matters with anyone, and even the government cannot force an attorney to reveal things that you tell them in confidence. The only exceptions are if you tell an attorney that you plan to commit a crime or to harm someone.

You should always be completely truthful with your attorney, even if you feel like the truth is embarrassing. A good attorney will not ever humiliate you or treat you differently because of something you tell them, and your attorney needs to know everything so that they can appropriately prepare your case to reach your goals. Never hold back something because you assume that it won’t be important: trust your attorney’s understanding of the law and what’s important and relevant.

Agree on a Communication Method

As soon as you start working with an attorney, you should agree on how you’re going to communicate. The way you communicate should work for both of you, and you should have a set schedule for regular updates in addition to a clear understanding that you will be contacted when anything big comes up in your case. A good attorney will also help you understand the most effective way to communicate while also saving you money. Bear in mind that you will usually be paying your attorney for their time, so if you send them 10 separate emails over the course of four or five days with 10 separate questions, that’s going to eat up more time and cost you more than if you send one email with all your questions once a week.

Be sure to also find out who you will be communicating with at the law office. Many times, if there is no big update, a law firm will task someone other than the lawyer to communicate with you. This saves you money and also saves the time of your lawyer, who can then concentrate on things that only they can do. But you should know right from the beginning who you will be hearing from.

Stay Organized

Even if you are a person who isn’t that organized, this is a great time to work on your organizational skills. A good attorney will know how to work with anybody, even if they aren’t the most organized person in the world; but the more organized you are, the better and more effective you will be at working with your lawyer towards achieving your goals.

Things will likely go faster, too, and cost you less. You can also ask your attorney to organize things on your behalf and turn most of it over to them – and you should if you’re not someone who loves spreadsheets, files, and similar forms of organizing and keeping information.

Listen With an Open Mind

Your attorney is on your side. After you have expressed the basics of your case and the goals of what you want to do, your attorney is going to strategize with you about the best way to accomplish your goals. This is going to include telling you whether any of your goals are unrealistic, helping you understand the possible consequences for each of the options that you might take, and giving their own personal recommendation about the best route to your goals.

If you don’t agree with the analysis that your attorney has made of the situation, you need to speak up right away and say so. Then you and your attorney will discuss it through. In the end, because of legal and ethical considerations, you will be the one who ultimately decides what to do. However, it’s always wise to listen to your attorney and rely on their expertise as much as possible.

Speak Up When You Don’t Understand

If you’re ever in a position where you don’t understand what your attorney is saying, or if you’re beginning to think that your relationship with your attorney is just not working out, you should say so. Keeping all these thoughts to yourself is only going to increase your stress, damage your ability to communicate effectively, and ultimately make things worse for your case.

If you feel like your attorney should be doing something more and are worried that they are not: tell them! It may be that they have been doing it and you’re just not aware of it. It may be that the thing doesn’t need to be done, and your attorney can explain that. Or, it could be that your attorney didn’t realize it needed to be done and will get on it as soon as you mention it. Communication is always the key. Always share what you’re thinking, always ask questions, and always be upfront with your attorney about what you’re feeling and thinking.

If you have a family law matter and are looking for an attorney you can work with effectively, contact us at the Evans Family Law Group in Austin, TX today for a free consultation on your case.