While it is important to make sure you have all of the facts about your lawyer before hiring them, it is equally important for you to be honest with them about your situation.
Family law cases are always fraught with emotions. Even though these are legal proceedings, real people, families, and children are involved, and if things don’t go well the outcomes can often be disastrous.
Your attorney understands this. They have to, or they wouldn’t be a child custody lawyer. It is important that you understand it too. If you do, then you will be less hesitant to share difficult and embarrassing personal information.
Here are some of the things you’ll need to be prepared to discuss.
YOUR CHILD
You’ll be having discussions about your child’s relationship with you, with their other parent, and with other family members. Your lawyer will want to know how they are doing in school, and if they are having any behavioral issues. Depending on how old your child is, your discussion could include topics such as potty training, bad dreams, and after-school activities.
Be prepared to go back over the past five years of your child’s life including where they lived if there were times that they did not live with you, how frequently they moved, and who their caregivers were. Any cases underway in juvenile court will come up during proceedings, so don’t neglect to tell your lawyer about them in advance.
YOUR CHILD’S OTHER CAREGIVER
It is important that you are honest about issues related to your child’s other parent. If they are generally a good caregiver and provider, be honest about that. On the other hand, if you have concerns about their ability to properly care for your child, don’t be afraid to talk about it. This is the time to have those conversations. You’ll have discussions about the type of work they do, how much they are away from home, and what their personal relationship status is.