Tips for hiring a divorce attorney in Texas, Part Three

For the past few days the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC has been posting articles regarding tips for hiring a family lawattorney for your divorce. If you haven’t read the first two blog posts I would highly recommend that you go back and read through them. I will reiterate that there are many traits that a good family law attorney should have and that it is up to you as a consumer to determine what is most important for you and your family when hiring a lawyer.

With that said, today’s final installment in this series will look into what you should avoid doing during an initial consultation with a family law attorney. For many of you, this will have been the first time you’ve ever tried to hire a lawyer and it is understandable that you may not know exactly what or what not to do. That first impression is incredibly important as far as getting a feel for the lawyer and gauging their ability to take on the responsibility of your case.

Money is not always the most important consideration

I know, I know. You’re reading a lawyer’s blog post, on a lawyer’s website tell you that a lawyer charging a bunch of money to represent you is not necessarily a bad thing. Stay with me on this one. Do not get stuck on the money aspect of an attorney’s discussions with you about your case.

For starters, if you are impressed by an attorney who doesn’t charge you all that much as far as an initial retainer my advice would be to take a step back and reassess the situation. Just because an attorney is charging you a lower amount of money initially does not mean that for the duration of your case. There is no way for you to know how long your divorce will last and it is difficult to know how efficiently the attorney that you plan to hire will work on your case. Do not pay for an attorney’s services unless he or she can provide you with a decent estimate of the duration and cost of your divorce. From that estimate, you can gain a much better idea of whether or not this attorney’s services will fit within your budget.

Finally, as I will tell people in consultations- the cost of the attorney should not be the most important reason you hire him or her. An attorney is a short-term investment but one of the more important ones you will ever make.

Attempting to cut corners and costs by hiring a lawyer who promises you a divorce with a below average price may end up getting you a below average result. What’s more, a low initial cost may be met with months and months of stagnation in your case that will see the initial savings diminish. The sweet spot is finding a family law attorney who has a reasonable retainer and hourly rate that has shown that he or she can move your case along efficiently.

Do not look to your divorce as a means to get back at your spouse

Revenge, righting a wrong, settling a score, etc. Call it what you want but if your motivation in filing for divorce is to get back at your spouse for something then your motivations are all wrong. The end result of filing for divorce is that you will get divorced (eventually) but that is about the only thing that is guaranteed.

If you think that the attorney you’re meeting with is the sort of person who will fight tooth and nail for your interests and you feel comfortable with him or her then that is a good combination. If you go into a consultation with the motivation of hiring an attorney to get revenge on your spouse and to make them feel some sort of “pain” I can tell you that you will not get the satisfaction that you desire. A divorce is tough enough as it is and you need to be focused on getting out of it in one piece- both emotionally and financially. This is especially true if you have children. The kids need to be the centerpiece of your divorce if you have any and it is foolish to try and substitute any other motivating factor in their place.

This divorce will not result in you scoring some emotional victory over your spouse. You will not see him or her break down sobbing (most likely) and very rarely will a trial result in a lopsided decision in your favor. You can do yourself a favor by saving time, money and effort in looking to hire an attorney who you think will efficiently and effectively manage your case.

Do not hire a lawyer who is too eager to head to court

This is especially true if you and your spouse are able to work together to solve the major issues of your divorce together rather than having a judge play tiebreaker. Even if you and your spouse can only settle on 80% of the issues in your case there are other methods to avoid going to court, such as mediation.

Court should be viewed as a last resort if all attempts at settling your case have been unsuccessful. The court is costly in terms of time and money and is often a risky venture for both spouses as trying to guess how a judge will rule on certain issues can be difficult to do. If you and your spouse are working well together make sure your attorney is aware of it. If he or she still seems eager to head to court, you may need to interview a few other lawyers.

Do you have more questions on divorce in Texas? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you some tips on hiring a divorce attorney. If you have any other questions on this subject or any other in the field of family law please do not hesitate to contact the attorneys with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC. We represent clients across southeast Texas and would be honored to do the same for you and your family.

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Other Articles you may be interested in:

1. Tips for hiring a divorce attorney in Texas
2. Tips for hiring a divorce attorney in Texas, Part Two
3. Hiring a Divorce or Family Lawyer in Spring, Texas
4. Why do divorces cost so much in Texas?
5. How Much Will My Texas Divorce Cost?
6. 8 Tips for Reducing the Cost of a Divorce in Texas
7. $300 Divorce Cost a Man $100,000 in Texas
8. Low cost and affordable divorces, attorneys, websites and divorce Costs in Texas
9. 6 things You Need to Know Before You File for Divorce in Texas
10. SUCH AN EASY DIVORCE? THAT HUSBAND MAY LOSE HIS HOUSE!
11. The attorney-client relationship is the key to winning your Texas divorce case
12. What is the difference between an attorney and a family law attorney?

Bryan Joseph Fagan( Attorney )

Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.

Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.

His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.

Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.