How to Hire the Best Family Law Attorney for Your Case

Many family disputes can be resolved with the assistance of a Family Court Lawyer in Nassau County. A family conflict occurs when a married couple and their children are involved. Divorce, child custody, child support, and child abuse are just some of the problems that can arise. In Family Court, however, both parents and their children can be called to testify. Depending on the situation, both parents, as well as other relatives and neighbors, can be called as witnesses in family court in New York.

Although some people may find it humiliating to have their family disputes heard in Family Court, Family Court in New York State is normally closed. This generally means that those who are not testifying are asked to wait outside the courtroom until they are called in.

Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect are two issues that come up in family court. A concurrent criminal inquiry into child neglect can also be conducted, with Child Protective Services informing the Family Court Judge of the criminal proceedings. CPS stands for Child Protective Services.

CPS, the service that could be called on to investigate child abuse and neglect, will contact the police and the criminal court for updates on the case, and then send that information to the Family Court Judge via reports.

When there are children involved in a divorce case, it is usually heard in New York's Supreme Court, but it can also be heard in Family Court. The Family Court Judge will be the sole deciding body in New York State when it comes to child custody and visitation issues. In terms of child support, the state of New York has provisions that are focused on a proportion of the parent's income. When a child turns 18 and is no longer considered a minor, Family Court decisions normally expire.

Although the court will appoint a free lawyer to all parents who cannot afford one, having the right divorce lawyer will make all the difference if you can afford one.

How Can You Choose The Best Family Court Lawyer For Your Case?

The first thing you can do is try to recall someone you know who has experienced something similar. They'll be able to tell you whether or not the lawyer they hired was competent or a complete failure. Always remember that even though a Family Court Lawyer is excellent at what he or she does, he or she can still lose. You may be wondering how. If your case is assigned to a hostile, biased judge.

The next thing to do…

The next thing you should do is perform a google search for a lawyer in your town. If your court case is in Westchester, for example, you would google "Divocre lawyers in Westchester" to find the best attorneys handling divorce. If you are doing it by phone, you are probably using a voice search. Google usually auto-completes the search phrase for you. On your screen you will usually see one or two ads at the top, in the “Maps” section. The Maps Section is always at the top of page one and includes the lawyers’ names and a contact method, as well as a link to their websites. Most importantly, this section includes the all important google reviews.

Google reviews can be helpful in assessing quality and service sometimes, but not always. The reason is because a lot of unscrupulous individuals ask friends and their employees to post fake reviews, applauding the great quality of their business, when in reality, these people have never benefited from their programs

You may also look at other review sites like Yelp or Google for "name of the lawyer / feedback." Often you'll come across feedback that don't appear on Google or Yelp. You'll be pleasantly shocked!

After you've completed this...

It's time to contact the lawyer's office and get on the phone with them and get a feel for the situation. Eight out of ten cases, you'll be dealing with a receptionist/admin assistant who handles "intake." This is a short quiz with questions like, "How did you learn about us?" “Can you tell me about your case?” These are questions that will help the lawyer assess if they are a good choice for you, or, to put it another way, whether it is worthwhile for them to contact you.

The Bottom Line

 Make sure you do your homework before hiring an attorney to handle your important matters. 

For info. on child custody, click here.