First off, many lawyers offer a free or low-cost initial consultation, so have an interview with at least two (2) to three (3) lawyers before settling on one. It will be well worth your time and money to scope out their knowledge base because if a lawyer is licensed to practice in the State of Minnesota, he or she can practice any type of MN Law, including Family Law. You need to remember that one of the main considerations in choosing a family law attorney must be his/her level of family law experience, expertise in dealing with a specific issue involved in your proceeding, and trust and affordability. For example, it is not appropriate for one lawyer to represent both spouses because there is an inherent conflict of interest (the interests of both spouses will most likely diverge at some point).
The second of the considerations in selecting an attorney is whether or not they listen to and understand your goals and concerns. At an initial consultation, you can come away with a very good idea of the lawyer's general working demeanor and how they may handle your case if you were to retain them.
You should always request a written Retainer Agreement before you agree and sign off on the fee structure. The written Retainer Agreement should typically state the hourly rates, whether or not the attorney will pay for other costs of your case through the retainer and whether the retainer is refundable or non-refundable. It is always a good idea to sign a Retainer Agreement which is refundable, so that if you discharge the attorney's service or if the case if completed before your retainer is exhausted, that the remaining monies are reimbursed to you.
Once you pay your retainer, it is placed in the lawyers trust account and the lawyer makes periodic (typically monthly) disbursements from this account depending upon the amount of time that was spent on your case and costs that were incurred in your case. You should receive monthly invoice statements that reflect the work performed on your behalf by the lawyer or the lawyer's staff.
Farhan Hassan concentrates his practice on all areas of family law with a specialty in divorce, including custody, spousal maintenance, complex property issues, as well as appellate practice. Please visit http://www.allaboutdivorcemn.com for specific conversations about getting a divorce in Minnesota.
