Do most good family law attorneys charge for the first consultation? A lawyer told me so, but I am not sure if it is true.

SelectionNo3078 · 2023-09-10T19:47:13+00:00

I had three consults and was charged for all of them

I also wore out my welcome with a coupe of friends who are lawyers

Old-Macaroon8148 · 2023-09-10T19:52:15+00:00

I did two, first one charged the second guy didn’t. You will get some decent info out of it but it’s also a sales pitch to retain their services.

Plus_Ability_1362 · 2023-09-10T19:38:15+00:00

Some do. Some don't

HereinPA1 · 2023-09-10T19:42:50+00:00

Mine did. $400. But, I’ve been told by multiple people that he’s really good.

dog_fart_tacos · 2023-09-10T19:46:12+00:00

I think it depends on the market. You'll often see advice here to consult with all the good lawyers in town so your wife can't find anyone. I think lawyers had to start charging to curtail this type of behavior. If I had to do it again, then I would go with one who charges.

AudreyTooTwo · 2023-09-10T19:49:28+00:00

I've had a somewhat-expensive lawyer give me a free 15-minute consult. I wouldn't expect a full hour.

Also, the conversation started out with HIS questions about ME; e.g.: What's my occupation and salary? How much savings do I have? Do I own the house? Clearly, he wants to know how much money he has to play with. It was clearly his biggest concern. This is NOT the time to be boastful. If you tell him you have a million dollars in your 401k, by the end of the call, he'll be on the Audi website, wondering if the TT Roadster comes in Forest Green.

I would not expect an in-depth analysis.

However, one big exception to all this: if you know the name of the opposing attorney -- AND ESPECIALLY if you know the name of the judge -- that info can be very helpful. If the attorney is honest, he/she will give you a good idea if you're in for a rough ride or not.

Diablo_Canyon2 · 2023-09-10T20:00:11+00:00

Yes, my did 150 for a 30 minute consult.

techrmd3 · 2023-09-10T20:19:11+00:00

Most that are really good do charge these days. Getting paid as a lawyer is usually such an issue they want to make VERY sure you can pay the fees.

Frankly I settled on my current lawyer because I could schedule a fast consult due to my offer to pay.

As they say you get what you pay for.

Objective-Fan-5464 · 2023-09-10T19:50:50+00:00

Yeah, most solid family law attorneys will charge for the first consult. It shows they value their time and expertise. Think of getting a divorce like going on a long, unpredictable ocean trip—your lawyer is your first officer. You'll want someone who's been down this road before, especially if kids are involved.

Look for a lawyer who understands financial and custody issues and knows the local judges' tendencies. You've also gotta vibe with them because, trust me, there'll be highs and lows. A good lawyer won't just sugarcoat things; they'll straight-up tell you if you're about to make a dumb move.

Also, in my experience, look for someone who has 'leverage' meaning they have a paralegal or two and maybe associate attorneys to help. A single-attorney shop will charge their hourly rate to fill out paperwork and filing which can be done cheaper by a paralegal. Lower cost associate attorney can help with mundane things while the lead attorney can make strategic decisions. It also helps because your paperwork will go through multiple reviews minimizing errors. I would advise staying away from large law-firms as well because you will probably get lost in the shuffle and not get the attention your case deserves.

Don't just go for someone because they're cheap. You want someone who'll do the job right, even if it costs a bit more. And definitely don't pick someone who'll push you to go to trial when it could've been settled more amicably. So before you make any decisions, sit down with at least three lawyers and get a feel for their approach. It's worth the investment to make sure you're picking the right person for such an important journey.

_RustyOnion_ · 2023-09-10T19:54:30+00:00

Sometimes your work place might provide a Free consultation.

DissonantDisplay · 2023-09-10T20:33:24+00:00

I had two, first charged, second didn’t. Went with the second but not cause he didn’t charge for the consult. I liked him cuz he wasn’t afraid to tell me what I didn’t want to hear. I’m in sales so I’d like to think I can see through bull shit and he was straight forward. Didn’t pretend to be my buddy but just a straight professional who knows 99% how things will shake out if things went to court

AdequatelyfunBoi2 · 2023-09-10T21:11:10+00:00

Just depends on the attorney

i80west · 2023-09-10T21:15:12+00:00

Mine was 200 for one, free for another

jkw118 · 2023-09-10T22:04:54+00:00

Most of the ones I met with in PA were free for the 30 min consultation. I'm more out in the sticks though. One of the lawyers wanted to charge me, I skipped them. One almost kicked me out of her office, as my ex had been borderline endangering the kids.. and she didn't want anything to do with a case where the woman may not get 50%or more custody. I ended up settling on a lawyer who primarily dealt with custody cases for 30 years. But he wasn't the best divorce lawyer, as things dragged on way longer then they should have.. covid didn't help

Flapique · 2023-09-10T23:34:27+00:00

My 1st one(which was terrible) did charge about $275. My 2nd one didn't charge and she's been much better.

upvotersfortruth · 2023-09-11T01:07:27+00:00

It depends on the market. Some markets the standard is a free initial consultation, others, it's not. If you're in a market where the standard is that attorneys do not charge for initial consultations - the "best" attorneys will probably still charge. And by best, I mean, focused on HNWI or complex, high-conflict, high asset divorces. So unless you fall into that category, you can't afford them.

ranchdaddo · 2023-09-11T01:24:38+00:00

The really good ones usually do because their time is pretty valuable. IMO if their reputation is good enough, that consultation fee is worth every penny.

Dangerous_Item_6879 · 2023-09-10T23:48:15+00:00

If they are good then they don’t work for free.

wisstinks4 · 2023-09-11T04:37:20+00:00

I paid $125 for 90min. Consult. Learning I would be screwed losing 50% of everything. The legal system is so fucking broken and biased against men. Why get married, why get divorced? I gave up.

The whole thing is a joke. If I ignore her long enough, maybe she’ll just go away. Grayrock/180/nc. Get out.

Formal_Republic_4313 · 2023-09-11T12:19:23+00:00

Had 5 free consults in Michigan.

Timely_Froyo1384 · 2023-09-12T13:42:32+00:00

My divorce lawyer didn’t change for a consult, but he was more of a strip mall paper pusher.

Now all the other lawyers in my life since then do change a discounted hourly rate for shopping around.

Judge a lawyer by his reputation not by his clothes or office location.

l3tsR0LL · 2023-09-14T04:50:19+00:00

I had a free consultation with this one guy. He told me I was screwed, laughed about it, then explained how the retainer works.

I wanted to tell him he was a terrible salesman

Title	Do most good family law attorneys charge for the first consultation? A lawyer told me so, but I am not sure if it is true.
Author	Fun_Block_7629
Upvotes	4
Comments	29
Date	September 10, 2023 7:34 PM UTC (2 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Divorce_Men
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Divorce_Men/comments/16f9c6q/do_most_good_family_law_attorneys_charge_for_the/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Divorce_Men/do-most-good-family-law-attorneys-charge-for-the.1231151 https://theredarchive.com/post/1231151

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