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Law Offices of Virginia C. Cornwell

(614) 225-9316
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Talking to a Dissolution Lawyer: What do you need to know? What do you need to ask? What do you need to bring?

August 16, 2014

DISSOLUTION LAWYER When people meet with a dissolution lawyer to  discuss the possible end of their marriage, that meeting can be very stressful. Some people do not know what to say or ask and hope that the dissolution lawyer will simply lead the meeting. The problem with that approach is that not everybody is in the same place as far as the end of their marriage and what they need from the dissolution lawyer. Some typical scenarios are:

1.  The potential client is uncertain if they want to end their marriage, but they simply want to get some information about what to expect if they DO decide to terminate the marriage.  They want to know about the difference between divorce and dissolution, which one is recommended for them, the timeframe, the cost, and what they need to do if they decide to “get the ball rolling.”  Some of these people want to “tell their story” and some are uncomfortable doing so, and are content not to have to tell more than they told at their intake interview over the phone.

2.  The potential client knows that they need to end their marriage, but they have no idea what they next step is.  Whatever the next step is, they want a dissolution lawyer to help them with that, so they are interviewing lawyers to see who is a good fit,  and looking for advice regarding what the next step is.  This potential client is not as interested in talking about the process, which can be overwhelming, because they trust that their dissolution lawyer, whoever they hire, will explain that to them as the process moves along.

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GAHANNA DISSOLUTION LAWYER3.  The person who has requested the consult has definitely decided to end their marriage, but cannot afford a dissolution lawyer and must handle their own case.  They are looking for some guidance regarding procedure and some advice regarding any pitfalls they are likely to encounter.  This person’s consultation is more about forms and where to go and what to file.  They may later decide they need another consultation for a little extra help, but they still will be handling their own case.

4.  The person who has requested the consultation has dissolution paperwork that was drafted by their spouse’s dissolution attorney.  They are not sure they want to or are able to hire a dissolution attorney of their own, but they do want to have a dissolution attorney look over the paperwork, explain it to them, and maybe give them suggestions regarding changes to the paperwork which is in their best interest.  This takes a lot more time than a consultation.   We charge the same flat fee for this as we do for drafting the documents ourselves.  You can find our dissolution flat fee rates on our FAQ page.

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Generally, people coming in to see a dissolution attorney are in one of these four categories.  It will help the dissolution lawyer to give the client the consultation that best fits their needs if the person can determine which category they are in and let the lawyer know at the beginning of the consultation.

Consultation.  That is a scary word to some people.  Some people believe that you only have a “consultation” with a lawyer if you are sure you want to hire a lawyer.  NOT TRUE.  A consultation is simply arranging to have a block of time with a lawyer to receive advice.  It is not just about whether you are going to hire a lawyer.  As I mentioned above, some people cannot afford a lawyer, but they need help with the paperwork.  That is okay.  Consultations are not one size fits all anymore.

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So you know what you want from the consultation.  What do you need to bring?  Well, if support is an issue, (either spousal support or child support), you should bring some proof of income (yours and your spouses).  In Ohio, you should also bring information regarding the cost of health insurance (both for the individual and family coverage, union dues, any child support you receive for other children (born outside the marriage) and proof of daycare expenses (daycare that is necessary for your job).  If possible, you should also have a rough idea of what your monthly budget is, and which spouse pays what percentage of the budget.  If you do not have all of that together, don’t worry, most people do not for their first consultation, and that information is looked at by the attorney after you hire him or her.

Your initial consultation, depending on the attorney, will probably be somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour, perhaps less if the consultation is free.  That being the case, you will not have time to cover all of the information involved in a dissolution.  You and the attorney will talk about some of the process, the cost, and the attorney will give you some information to go home and look over.

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You do NOT have to decide right there in the attorney’s office whether you want to hire him or her, so do not feel rushed or pressured.  It is expected that you will go home and think about it.  The attorney knows this, is used to this and is completely comfortable with it, so do not be anxious about not hiring them on the spot.  If and when you are ready to hire the dissolution lawyer you met with, you would get started by signing the fee agreement they give you and paying their retainer.

CALL NOW at (614) 225-9316

FAMILY LAWYERVirginia Cornwell is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Family Relations Specialist.

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2. The info on our site is not legal advice because we don't know the facts of your case. If you want legal advice, you must meet with a lawyer.
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Ohio Child Support Guidelines Calculator

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Blogroll

  • Columbus Ohio Divorce Lawyer

Read this before you read our website

1. This site applies to the state of Ohio and matters of federal law only.

2. The info on our site is not legal advice because we don't know the facts of your case. If you want legal advice, you must meet with a lawyer.

3. Reading this website or sending documents to us does not create an attorney-client relationship and information or documents you give us will not be kept confidential unless you call us, tell us who is involved in your case, and let us do a conflict of interest check.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

  • Annulment of Marriage
  • Appeals
  • CERTIFIED SPECIALIST – OSBA Certified Family Relations Specialist
  • Child Support
  • Columbus Ohio Collaborative Family Law
  • Contempt of Court
  • Custody
  • Dissolution of Marriage
  • Divorce
  • Divorce & Alimony
  • Divorce & Assets
  • Divorce & Business Owners
  • Divorce & Child Support
  • Divorce & Custody
  • Divorce & Professional or Medical Practice Owners
  • Family Law
  • Father's Rights
  • Franklin County & 88 Ohio Counties
  • Grandparents Rights
  • Legal Separation
  • LGBT Family Law, Divorce, Custody
  • Military Divorce
  • Mother's Rights
  • Moving & Relocation
  • Ohio Collaborative Divorce
  • Parental Alienation
  • Paternity
  • Post-Decree Modifications
  • Prenuptial & Antenuptial Agreements (Prenup)
  • Shared Parenting
  • Temporary Orders in Ohio
  • Uncontested Divorce
  • Unmarried & Never Married Parents
  • Visitation
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Ohio Bar Association Certified Family Law Specialist

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  • The Ohio LGBT community’s new right to marry also means the right to step-parent adoption
  • Ohio LGBT Shared Custody Agreements: Get it in Writing!
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From our downtown Columbus offices we serve clients throughout Ohio. We also service areas such as Gahanna, Bexley, Blacklick, Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard, Lancaster, Westerville, New Albany, Pickerington, Powell, Upper Arlington, Worthington, Lancaster, Franklin County, Fairfield County and more. In addition, we serve clients in several Ohio Counties, including, but not limited to: Franklin County, Delaware County, Licking County, and Fairfield County.

Ohio State Bar Association Certified Family Relations Specialist

Ohio Bar Association Certified Family Law Specialist

Free Information

  • Adoption (4)
  • Alimony or Spousal Support (3)
  • Annulment (5)
  • Appeals (3)
  • Child Custody (39)
  • Child Support (15)
  • Civil Protection Orders & Domestic Violence (3)
  • Collaborative Divorce (1)
  • Contempt & Enforcement (12)
  • Dissolution , Amicable Divorce, No Fault Divorce (15)
  • Divorce (45)
  • Emergency Custody and Supervised Visitation (3)
  • Father's Rights and Paternity (12)
  • Grandparents Rights in Ohio (14)
  • Guardian ad Litem (3)
  • High Asset Divorce (2)
  • Interstate Family Law (2)
  • Jurisdiction and Venue (6)
  • Legal Separation (5)
  • LGBT Family Law (6)
  • Mediation (1)
  • Military Family Law (3)
  • Mothers' Rights (2)
  • Moving and Relocation (10)
  • Ohio County Visitation Schedules (86)
  • Parental Alienation (2)
  • Post Decree Cases (6)
  • Prenuptial Agreements or Antenuptial Agreements (3)
  • Psychological Evaluations (2)
  • Shared Parenting (2)
  • Step-Parent Adoption (1)
  • Tax Issues (1)
  • Temporary Orders (5)
  • Uncategorized (14)
  • Uncontested Divorce (2)
  • Unmarried Parents (6)
  • Visitation (6)

Recent Posts:

  • Appealing Your Ohio Family Law Judgment Entry
  • The Ohio LGBT community’s new right to marry also means the right to step-parent adoption
  • Ohio LGBT Shared Custody Agreements: Get it in Writing!
  • Columbus Ohio Same Sex Divorce Lawyer & Prenuptial Agreement Lawyer
  • Same Sex Divorce in Ohio: U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Bans on Same Sex Marriage

From our downtown Columbus offices we serve clients throughout Ohio. We also service areas such as Bexley, Blacklick, Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Gahanna, Hilliard, Lancaster, Marysville, Westerville, New Albany, Newark, Pickerington, Plain City, Powell, Upper Arlington, Worthington, Lancaster, Zanesville and more. In addition, we serve clients in all Ohio Counties, including, but not limited to: Franklin County, Delaware, Licking, Logan, Fairfield, Union, Marion, Muskingum, Pickaway, Ross, Richland, Madison, Morrow, Knox, and more.

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Law Offices of Virginia C. Cornwell
408 Emory St
Columbus , OH , 43230
(614) 225-9316
Latitude: 40.00734
Longitude: -82.84535